Harrington - Main entrance during the Thor era?

[Dale]

Cousin lived in Weldon for over 62 years, sister on Rockingham Road Corby for 60 years both working hard on missile transit, watch this space!!!!

[P Bellamy]

Slight update regards the mystery fenceline at Harrington...

PB
Help me here chap, I've been studying your inner/outer fence diagram and I have a question. On the peri track that survives the outer fence ring is obvious from the evidence of concrete post placings however inward of this I have found picket fittings running parallel to the post track that look as if they were intended to tie down Dannet wire or similar. This does not however tie in with the diagram you've supplied, now if this is an inner ring it does not create the ideal sterile area 250ft or whatever. So are you aware of these fittings if so what are they?

I took some photos of this mystery third fence a couple of months ago.
Although they are already in the main Harrington Airfield thread they are pertinent to repeat here.

Traces of the Thor site perimeter fencing where it crossed the western peritrack. Mine markers used to denote the post holes:

"Outer fence No.1", a single row of the 8" square concrete posts:



When plotted into Google Earth, with the 1970s OS map overlaid, this single-row fence lines up with the continuous outer fence marked on the map, and is 260' outside the visible line of the inner perimeter fence.

"Outer fence No.2", a staggered double row of the same 8" square concrete posts, 4' between rows, about 40' feet inside "Outer fence No.1", with the usual stubs of the metal reinforcing rods:

Examination of the concrete infill clearly shows the cut-off ends of screw pickets:



Plenty of complete pickets lying around on the LEs too:



I can only guess it was felt an additional fence of wire was required in this section of the sterile area.
I couldn't find a matching set of staggered postholes where the fences returned back across the perimeter track further to the north.

All the best,
PB

[P Bellamy]

Ever since I saw this photo, I wondered where it is exactly, took a drive round this afternoon, and I'm sure it's not on North side as the land undulates, there is no sign of anything on the east side, which only leaves the south side and that doesn't look right.

Spotted in the rubble on one of the LEs the other day was this concrete-filled oil drum with a post hole:



One of the pair holding the sign up above, or is that too far fetched?

All the best,
PB

[YellowPinkie]

Oh please, let it be so!

When Dale and I were last there and he was poking about uncovering one of the LOX pipe supports I joked about finding the sign! Annoying thing is, I was standing on that very chunk of concrete during our visit.

Traces of white paint, or a matching pair would confirm it, surely.

Have you modelled them in Sketchup yet?

[YellowPinkie]

As a bit of fun, I've just had a stab:



The uprights on my model are 6" sq. nominal, but I think they look more like 4" sq. Also, the prototype sign looks twisted, top left more forward than top right. My barrels aren't too good either.

Needs lots more work; anyone got a good image of the crest?

Out of interest PB, do you model in mm or inches, seeing as the protoype would have been imperial?

[P Bellamy]

Imperial measurements as per the prototypes, naturally.

218 Squadron's crest with the hourglass can be found HERE.

All the best,
PB

[P Bellamy]

Now look what you've made me go and do, badly...





PB

[YellowPinkie]

Ha ha ha. No dry stone wall? You disappoint me...

Have you moved the posts backwards? Your photo of the drum in the pit looks to be this way, but I couldn't be sure about the contemporary image.

Nice job with the crest - really finishes it off.

Finished JB's book some time ago, and now reading Launch Pad UK, so with a bit of luck, the daft questions should stop. Or increase.

[YellowPinkie]

Spotted in the rubble on one of the LEs the other day was this concrete-filled oil drum with a post hole:



One of the pair holding the sign up above, or is that too far fetched?

All the best,
PB

I've been up there this evening, and someone has definitely been moving stuff about. Anyway I'm prepared to stake what's left of my reputation that that drum is certainly one of the main entrance sign supports. My evidence is as follows:

White paint traces on said drum:
WhitePaintonDrum.jpg

Light blue paint (photo doesn't do it justice, I only had my phone with me) on some timber adjacent:
IMAG2472.jpg

Stacks of Northampton stone also adjacent that must be that which was placed around the drums:
NorthamptonStonePile.jpg

Now, is the sign itself decaying at the bottom of the pit?

Edit: (Sorry about the small pics, the new photo uploader confused me, but give them a click...)

[P Bellamy]

Minor tweak to the sign model:



The traces of red paint on the concrete on the surviving barrel seems to tie in with the dark shade of the tops of the barrels in the period photo.

The stones might get added one day...

All the best,
PB