K2 test stand, former Royal Ordnance Establishment, Westcott

MATERIALS: Reinforced concrete

PLAN: A tripartite test stand comprising a rectangular test bay to the south-west, and two blast walls to its north-east.

TEST STAND: K2 is located in the northern test area at Westcott at the western end of the former south-west to north-east runway (at SP 70470 16944) and approximately 45m north of the K1 test-stand.

K2 is a tripartite test stand for horizontal firing comprising a rectangular test bay to the south-west, a monumental arched blast wall, approximately 12 metres high and a further lower blast wall beyond to the north-east, all of reinforced concrete. The firing bay is a rectangular building with a flat roof, open-ended to the north-east where it faces its blast walls. It is identified by a painted 'K2' on it south elevation (in white on a black ground). The roof of this building is of metal rails, closely spaced and functioning as roof trusses. There are metal-framed apertures in the walls for camera observation points (to record the test) reached by external doors into three high-speed camera bays within the depth of the three walls. At the south-western end is a raised camera bay reached by an external staircase. Internally is a gantry for manoeuvring the rocket motor under test, a sprinkler system and also fixing points on the floor. There is a rectangular aperture or arch to the main blast wall to allow the plume from the test to project to the furthest blast wall. The main wall is battered and stepped in profile and has fixing bolts for steel plates to its south-west face. The plates were intended to lessen the effect of the hot efflux gases but it is understood that these were never fixed. Beyond, the lower angled blast wall, which is still monumental in form and scale, traces an arc to catch 'breakaways', i.e. any plume remnants.