RAF Barnham

A few weeks ago I joined other CCC members for a trip to the former RAF Barnham.  Now an industrial estate, and a scheduled historic monument, during the 50s/60s, RAF Barnham was one of two storage locations for Blue Danube, Britain's first nuclear bomb.  Blue Danube was a physically large, 'Manhattan Project' era technology, bomb, intended to be delivered by the V-bombers (Valiant's, Victors & Vulcans).  Theses bombs required constant maintenance, hence the central storage.

Inside a double fence, Barnham was roughly pentagonal in layout.  There were three main buildings, each surrounded by an earthwork banking.  These stored and maintained the bomb casings and the high-explosive elements of the weapons.  Additionally, there were 55 small storage buildings, called 'hutches', that held the fissile cores. Today, the two remaining main buildings (one burnt down in the 80s) and the ancillary buildings are used for light industry.  The double fence, guard towers and hutches have been maintained and where possible restored, as part of the obligation to historic monument status.  Three of the four guard towers have been restored to their original condition, as have a couple of the hutches which have had the inner storage safes replaced.  Much of the work has been done by the firms who rent space within the site.

 

More from Scotland

A few more images from my recent trip to Scotland; featuring Glen Coe, Rannoch Moor, Glen Etive and Castle Stalker.

Buachaille Etive Mor

Back in February, I spent a week based in Fort William, for a little winter landscaping, with my friend Vic.  The weather was mixed, as you would expect for Scotland in February, but we did manage a couple of good days.  I was keen to get some good images of Buachaille Etive Mor, so that was the focus of two mornings.  The first morning started frustratingly cloudy, but eventually (and quite suddenly) it cleared into perfect conditions.  We headed to the 'tripod holes' spot at the top of Glen Etive, to get the same shot that thousands of other 'togs have shot before us.  Then we followed the river Etive upstream, to look for some different compositions.

The second morning was cold and clear.  We had hoped to gain some hight, to give a different viewpoint on the big shepherd.  But a delayed start and slow traffic through Glen Coe, meant we were never going to get in position before the sun hit the mountain.  So, back to Glen Etive we went.  This time the still parts of the river Etive were frozen over, giving a different element to foreground compositions.