2007

SU2065 : Park Farm, Savernake, Marlborough

taken 18 years ago, near to Cadley, Wiltshire, England

Park Farm, Savernake, Marlborough
Park Farm, Savernake, Marlborough
These innocuous-looking farm buildings mark the spot where a major catastrophe took place in 1946.

During WWII Savernake Forest was used as a strategic ordnance store in preparation for D-Day. Few signs remain of that activity although the remnants of a storage building can still be seen. SU2265 : Old ammunition store, Charcoal Burners Road, Savernake (3)

Although the war ended in 1945 the forest was still being used to store and manage massive amounts of ordnance. On 2nd January 1946 huge explosions occurred while ordnance was being transferred between rail freight wagons and road vehicles in a siding off the nearby GWR line (formerly the Midlands and South Western Junction Railway).

There are a few websites that mention the incident such as LinkExternal link and LinkExternal link.

LinkExternal link has a comprehensive set of present-day and historical images.

However, the most recent, comprehensive account of both this event and another, earlier, explosion nearby is to be found in an excellent history of Savernake and the war years entitled 'Savernake at War' published and written by Roger Day, 2007 (ISBN 0 9536601 2 5) contactable at the 'Ramsbury at War' website above. This and several other images can be seen in this gallery Link

Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Brian Robert Marshall and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Farm buildings
1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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1:50,000 Modern Day Landranger(TM) Map © Crown Copyright
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SU2065, 9 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Brian Robert Marshall   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 3 February, 2007   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 3 February, 2007
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 208 653 [100m precision]
WGS84: 51:23.1820N 1:42.1489W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SU 206 652
View Direction
East-northeast (about 67 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph (First for SU2065) · First in 5 Years (TPoint) (about)
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