Uplees munitions factory and explosion

[trajan]

Interesting article on the 1915 explosion here: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2015/may/16/brian-dillon-the-great-explosion-munitions-factory-uplees-faversham-kent-1915

Also news that it is on Historic England's list of 'Historic Buildings at Risk': http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2015/oct/20/bomb-factory-concrete-church-historic-uk-buildings-risk

[trajan]

More on this from the BBC at: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34543747

With this aerial photograph, downloaded from there for reference:

Looks as if the M40 cuts through the site, which is surrounded by 19th century type ridge and furrow

[MikeyH]

There was a piece on local radio here in Northamptonshire today on Number Nine Filling Factory, this just outside Banbury per the aerial photo. As Trajan has pointed out this appears on the list of 'Historic Buildings at Risk'. There is very little to be seen, just a few tumbled walls. At the height of the Great War Number 9 Filling Factory employed around 1500 people. Later in the conflict they were engaged in the manufacture of mustard gas shells. The site did not finally close down until 1927.

Banbury Museum had an exhibition about the Factory earlier this year, they are still looking for a cartridge case bearing the No. 9 stamp.

Mike.