A ramble through my hometown’s past.

Historical background.

Source: colfein.gov.U.K.

Former World War 2 Ordnance Factory, at Wrexham whose area covered just under 1,500 acres. Built at a cost of £10.9 million. It is said that the location was chosen due to its distance from potential German air raids, though this is disputed due to Wrexham’s proximity to Liverpool. Coupled with the fact that regular fires were lit just several miles away across Ruabon Moors and Minera Mountsin to confuse the Luftwaffe into believing they were flying over Merseyside.

There were however high local unemployment levels and excellent rail networks in the area and a huge marshalling yard was constructed together with an internal railway system, including a platform for passengers travelling to and from work, as well as military personnel.

Well defended with many Internal defences and just a mile away was RAF Wrexham where at least one fighter squadron was based, for Regional defence. The site was never attacked nor bombed

Approximately 13,000 individuals were employed, mostly female. In 1941 it began production of a solventless cordite which was used as the explosive propellant in various heavy munitions.

With the cessation of hostilities and the lack of need for cordite the site closed as early as 1945, and the site was adapted (many buildings being used for commercial purposes) and renamed Wrexham Trading Estate. With a lot of land returning also to agricultural use.

Sources: various

Now known as Wrexham Industrial Estate it houses global companies such as Kellogg’s and Tetra Pak amongst others, as well as HMP Berwyn a mega prison, the largest in the U.K. holding over 2k inmates. Thanks for that!

The walk

So ok this is one from the winter months of last year.

These are my sexy legs, the morning after.

This damn bloody walk put me out of action for 8 weeks with tendon damage to my knee joint!

Of the vast site there is now only about 5% of the wartime structures left. (the bottom rightish area of the above picture).

Enjoy!!!

One of several still standing defensive pillboxes than can be found at various former road and rail junctions

The buildings were built to resist external protection from incendiary and blast bombs, thick walls,no windows only small shuttered openings and reinforced roofs. Spread over a very wide area.

The buildings were also surrounded with earth banks so as to contain and deflect any blast and to direct any internal explosion upwards, some had in built weak end wall joints as standard sacrificial explosion relief panels.

Well worn steps, and it’s just a guess here perhaps the remaining base of a cast iron lamp-post?

Tunnels, thick walled tunnels, peep out from the undergrowth,

Some might be excited, most cringing, when I now refer you back to my sexy legs.

Shortly after taking this snap your intrepid walker guy became your intrepid slip slider arse over tit falling down the bank guy. It was wet and muddy underfoot, I had the wrong foot wear on, grip less!

Landing at the bottom upside down laughing my cock off. My right leg bent under me I was more worried about my camera which I had managed to keep hold of instead of grabbing the undergrowth on the way down.

No obvious injury I scrambled back up the bank and felt fine, not even a twinge to cause a limp. Thank you I muttered to The Lord Ganesh and happily carried on.

Sometime later I came across this tower, which I reckon is part of the fire defences on site. There was the original iron ladder on the wall, no internal stairs, I had to get to the top, what a view that would be.