Subscribe now for full access and no adverts
The village of Orford on the Suffolk coast was once a significant port, whose modern skyline is still dominated by the 12th-century castle’s formidable keep. But the modern military importance of the nearby Orford Ness, a remote shingle spit that is today a vast nature reserve, began in the last century with its purchase by the War Department in 1913.
During the First World War, the site was used for a range of experiments, which led to significant advances in military hardware and aerial warfare tactics. These included the development of the parachute, aerial photography, bombing techniques, and machine-gun sights. Many remnants of the Ness’s role as a wartime laboratory remain, and, as you approach the site, you are struck by the outline of the distinctive H-bomb test structures, commonly known as ‘pagodas’, dotting the horizon. These are strange buildings that still harbour secrets of the activities that once took place within them.
Most of the work that was conducted at the Ness remains highly classified, despite the site having been acquired by the National Trust almost 30 years ago and subsequently opened to the public. It has been a popular and beautiful visitor attraction ever since.
Test and evaluation
Orford Ness was a busy place, both during and between the wars. In 1924, it was reopened as a bombing range for aircraft based at the nearby Martlesham Heath airfield. Three years later, it was designated as the Bomb Ballistic Unit under the direction of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE). The rapid development of aircraft technologies at this time led to an increased application of scientific methods and new construction projects, such as the striking Bomb Ballistics Building, which was built in 1933. This building housed instruments used to monitor bombing trials and refine aiming methods. The tests entailed dropping munitions into the shingle and surrounding sea.
The distinctive Black Beacon, resembling a windmill without sails, contained an experimental rotating loop providing homing navigation for military aircraft operating under warfare conditions. In the early 1930s, it was replaced by the new High Frequency Direction Finding ‘Homing’ Beacon, also developed at Orford by the scientist Robert Watson-Watt. By 1936, he had developed a new Radio Direction Finding (RDF) or RADAR system, which would play a crucial part in the Battle of Britain. Both buildings have been renovated and opened to the public by the Trust.
During the Second World War, Orford was home to firing trials used to test new guns and ammunition. By aiming at both Allied and German airframes, set up on platforms, scientists were able to investigate their vulnerability to various calibres of weapon – experiments which also helped in the development of self-sealing fuel tanks. The Ness was used, too, to test new technologies such as Identification Friend or Foe Radar, land-mine clearance flails, chemical weapons, and, most notably, the 12,000lb Tall Boy bomb.
Cold War menace
After the United States dropped the UK from involvement in the Manhattan Project at the end of the war, the Ness played a key role in providing Britain with its own nuclear deterrent. The Atomic Weapons Research Establishment took over the site in 1953, building new bunkers and support structures that were used to test and develop the nuclear bombs to be carried by the RAF’s V-Force. The miniaturisation of electronics enabled them to monitor what would happen within a falling munition. This led to new equipment being installed in the Bomb Ballistics Building, including captured German radar-guided tracking cameras, which were used to monitor performance.
Inside the pagodas, secret tests were carried out on the mechanical vibrations, ‘G’ forces, and temperatures that the bombs would experience in operational use. Their roofs and walls were designed to contain any inadvertent detonation of the warhead during a test. Officially, no nuclear material was used in any of the trials, which were monitored from separate command-and-control centres adjacent to the laboratories. The UK’s last air-dropped nuclear device, the WE177 bomb, was tested here as well.
From 1968 to 1973, the Ness was used to develop a long-range ‘over-the-horizon’ backscatter radar project, a joint US–UK project codenamed Cobra Mist. This involved the construction of radio transmitters and steel aerials to detect incoming missiles and increase early warning times from 4 to 15 minutes. The project was cancelled due to technical issues, in particular the impossibility of overcoming electrical interference in the surrounding area.
In 1971, it was decided to close Orford Ness, and staff were tasked with decommissioning the site. Most of the equipment was removed and the buildings left to the mercy of the elements.
In 1985, the Ness was officially closed, and soon became a target for vandals and scrap merchants. The passage of time has meant that the laboratories and most of the other buildings became unsafe for the public to enter. Yet there is still a great deal to see. The comprehensive National Trust Island of Secrets exhibition is to be found in the renovated First World War building used by Watson-Watt and his team to develop the early RADAR systems.
An exceptional visit
Veiled in secrecy for much of its history, Orford Ness is a remarkable place, interesting for both its extensive military history and as a pleasant nature reserve.
But, as well as being accessible solely by ferry, the risk of unexploded ordnance means that visitors must keep to the designated paths at all times. The facilities on the Ness are also limited (it would be advisable to bring a picnic rather than rely on the DIY tearoom) and substantial walking distances separate the various landmarks. Yet a visit is still strongly recommended if your holiday plans take you to the Suffolk coast.
Orford Ness national nature reserve Seasonal opening hours; see website – booking essential Quay Street, Orford, Suffolk IP12 2NU www.nationaltrust.org.uk/visit/suffolk +44 (0)1394 450900 £12 All images: Tony Lockhart/Wikimedia Commons
WORTH CHECKING OUT… Upcoming Events and Exhibitions
EXHIBITION
American Revolution Experience Traveling Exhibit, Until December 2025, Various locations in the US, http://www.battlefields.org/american-revolution-experience-traveling-exhibit-tour
Originally a collaboration between the American Battlefield Trust and the Daughters of the American Revolution society, the American Revolution Experience has gone from being an award-winning website to becoming an in-demand exhibition, touring across the United States over the next two years. The experience will visit scores of libraries, historical sites, and museums throughout 2024 and 2025, introducing visitors to the lives of the men and women who were engaged in a conflict that forged a nation. See the website for full touring dates and locations.
EVENT
Chalke History Festival, 24-30 June 2024, Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5DP, http://www.chalkefestival.com, Prices vary
Attracting some of the most distinguished academics and writers from the UK and abroad, the Chalke History Festival has established itself as one of the most popular gatherings of its kind in the country. Top speakers this year include James May, Bettany Hughes, Sathnam Sanghera, and The Rest is History podcast duo Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook. Also on offer will be the festival’s usual array of interactive sessions, family experiences, live music, and food.
MUSEUM
Liberation Pavilion, Open now, National WWII Museum, 45 Magazine Street, New Orleans, LA 70130, http://www.nationalww2museum.org, $35 (adult)
The newly opened Liberation Pavilion at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans explores the end of the Second World War, the Holocaust, and the legacy of the conflict in today’s world. Over two floors of exhibition space, along with a third-floor theatre offering visitors a state-of the-art cinematic experience, the Pavilion serves as the must-see capstone to one of the most impressive historical museums, not just in the United States but in the world.
EXHIBITION
Cold War Scotland, 13 July 2024-26 January 2025, National Museum of Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh EH1 1JF, http://www.nms.ac.uk, Free
The impact of the Cold War still lingers in Scotland. While atomic power brought jobs and investment to remote areas of the country, the threat of nuclear attack became part of daily life, spurring protest movements such as CND. Physically, too, ruined bases and forgotten bunkers are still evident across the landscape. This upcoming exhibition exploring the war’s legacy is based on a research project between National Museums Scotland and Stirling University.
