C - D test-stands and support structures, Former Royal Ordnance Establishment, Westcott

MATERIALS: reinforced concrete, brick, earth traverses.

DESCRIPTION: C-D site contains a pair of test stands each with their protective earth traverses to the north and a contemporary fuel management system. D stand is to the west and C stand to the east. To the south of the stands is Building 209 which is the contemporary support workshop and between D and C lies Building 360.

C TEST STAND (also known as Building 208) is the more modest of the two stands on site and was originally the pair of B stand at Westcott. It has two mirror-image firing bays to the north with ceiling gantries and original direct observation windows, brick control/observation rooms to either side and oxidant and fuel tank chambers are to the rear (south), as at B. Of the group of four early test stands at Westcott (A, B, C, D) it is the most original in terms of physical structure, exhibiting the pre-November 1947 design. There is a later single periscope inserted through one of the observation windows to each firing chamber. The control panels are also later, of 1960s to 1980s date, and some of its fittings have been removed. There is an earth traverse to the north and drains and tanks to both north and south.

D TEST STAND (also known as Building 207) was originally the pair of A stand. It is still used for testing and therefore has a more recent superstructure of heavy chain mail, torpedo netting to the front (north) which was added in the last decade or so. As at A there are physical gaps between the control rooms and firing bays. There are no ceiling gantries as these, and some other fittings, have been removed to allow its current test use. The circular periscope hatches remain. There are tanks and run-off channels to the north and south, although some to the north have been backfilled, and also an earth traverse to the north. As at A stand, the oxidant was stored to the sides and the fuel to the rear. The control rooms (to the west and east) are of reinforced concrete except for a shield wall to the east which is partly in brick. The control room doors are truly massive, undoubtedly inserted as a reaction to the November 1947 accident and there are additional square escape hatches.

ANCILLARY BUILDINGS: the main and original workshop for these stands is Building 209 which is a prefabricated building, constructed of modular panels, with a pitched corrugated roof and metal multi-paned casements. There is a flat-roofed concrete porch at the south-east corner. Between the two stands is a small flat-roofed building (Building 360). In red brick English bond it has metal-framed casements with concrete cills and heads and an observation window to the north.

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 20/10/2015