Former RAF Ringstead Chain Home radar station

Former RAF Ringstead Chain Home Radar Station

A former radar station built in 1941, refitted in 1952 and 1963, and ceasing operation in 1974. The site survives as a collection of reinforced concrete structures designed to Air Ministry standards, positioned across the landscape and protected by earth mounds.

The two receiver towers, which were wooden self-supporting structures 240 feet (73.15 metres) tall, have been demolished. Four tapering concrete foundation blocks or feet marking the position of the two towers remain in situ. Between each pair of foundation blocks would have been a cable junction box with four brick or concrete corner piers and a concrete cap.

The two Type C receiver blocks are rectangular reinforced concrete structures surrounded by oval earth mounds for blast protection, measuring approximately 18 metres east-west and 25 metres north-south. Each has entrances to the east and south elevations protected by concrete blast wing-walls. The west receiver block has a brick blast wall to the south entrance, while the east entrance is sealed with a modern timber door. A concrete ventilator protrudes from the roof. The interiors are divided into several rooms following a standardised Air Ministry layout. Original yellow and green paint survives, along with lighting, electrical fittings, and simple wooden architraves. Rooms include a receiver room, air filtration equipment spaces, a telephone exchange, storage, and a former WC. The west block is approached by a concrete footbridge leading to brick steps down to the bunker. The east block retains some air-conditioning equipment. A ruinous hut base lies to its south west.

The standby set house to the north east is a reinforced concrete structure with two offset doors (east and west) and a roughly circular earth mound measuring approximately 31 metres east-west. Air Ministry drawings indicate such buildings contained a principal generating set room flanked by a transformer room and fuse room. This provided emergency power to the radar station. To the west in woodland is a small concrete and brick structure, possibly a guard post.

The two Type C transmitter blocks are rectangular reinforced concrete structures encased by roughly circular earth mounds measuring approximately 22 metres east-west. They housed transmitter equipment delivering high frequency energy pulses to antennae on four steel transmitter masts, now removed. Each block has two entrances (east and west) protected by concrete blast wing-walls, though the west entrance to the Pitt Cottage block has had its wing-walls removed and is sealed. Two concrete ventilators protrude from the top of each mound. Interiors follow standard Air Ministry plans with an alcove for transformer cabling. The Pitt Cottage block retains metal fittings, ventilation trunking, plain timber architraves, and concrete pads for equipment fixings. A room to the north contains timber-surrounded compartments and a former WC in the rear passage. The south transmitter block west of Rose Cottage has a whitewashed interior with most fittings removed.

The Type C substation to the east of the north transmitter block is an earthbound reinforced concrete structure to Air Ministry standard design, measuring approximately 18 metres east-west. It housed the mains transformer equipment and is protected by an earth mound. Three entrances to the north-east, south-west, and south-east elevations each lead to separate rooms.