Former RAF Faldingworth atomic bomb store: Proof Range

The Former RAF Faldingworth atomic bomb store, known as the Proof Range, is a firing and proof range built in the 1960s.

Constructed from reinforced concrete and profile metal sheeting, the range features train sleepers within the firing area for sound deadening. It has a long rectangular footprint, with a nearly square workshop area in the middle. The proofing ranges extend to the east and west, with the eastern arm being three times longer than the western arm.

The building is low and elongated, primarily made of reinforced concrete. The central workshop has breeze-block dwarf walls, with the upper sections clad in profile metal sheeting supported by steel framing, and features a low pitched saw-tooth roof. To the north, there is a two-storey flat-roofed block that contains offices and other facilities. The eastern arm of the range measures 225 metres in length, while the western arm is 75 metres long. At the ends of each range, the building expands into larger blocks with projecting sections that house the target areas, monitoring and testing rooms, and other machinery, all featuring flat roofs with louvred and boarded openings.

Inside, the workshop area has an industrial feel with exposed metal structures. The roof is fitted with panels and profiled plastic roof-lights. Access to the tunnels is through large reinforced metal doors, lined with shuttered concrete. The longer tunnel on the western side can be divided into sections of 75 metres, 150 metres, or its full length of 225 metres. The target areas include large bins behind the targets, lined with railway sleepers, and the entire target zone of the eastern range is similarly lined. Firing is monitored by cameras set in recessed panels, accompanied by flanking flood lights. Notably, the target area of the eastern range contains a panel believed to be from the German battleship Tirpitz.