History
Plan
Type 14 radar photo
All from Subterranea Britannica web site
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/m/murlough_bay/
----------------------
Riding round the north-eastern coast of Northern Ireland on our motorbike we found this place and stopped for a mooch. Initially disappointing, but with a small gem in the last door I looked in.
The history: The final stage of the ROTOR Programme (Rotor 3) was to provide radar cover for the north and west of the British Isles, which were still exposed to attack, and to give low and surface level cover over the Atlantic, the absence of which prevented effective action against low flying enemy aircraft.
Rotor 3 included five new Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) stations equipped with Stage 1 radar equipment to enable detection and tracking of low flying aircraft. The proposed stations were at Kilchiaran, Murlough Bay, Prestatyn, Snaefell and West Myne (demolished). These were to be heavily built operations blocks, designated R11; the above ground version of an R2 bunker.
It was hoped that The ROTOR 3 programme would be complete by 1957 and all technical aspects were classified as 'Super Priority'. Until they were completed arrangements were made to use mobile equipment in an emergency.
The site chosen for RAF Murlough Bay (Rotor code URB) was a green field site on a plateau overlooking the sea one and a half miles south west of Murlough Bay on the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland. An above ground R11 technical block was chosen because of the adverse weather conditions. Two radars were to be provided, one Type 14 Mk. IX search radar on a gantry and one Type 13 Mk. VII height finder on a plinth. A standby set house was to be located alongside the technical block. The station was to be equipped with six 60A consoles, one 61 console and two video map units. The proposed completion date for the station was April 1956.
Original plan of main building
Murloch Bay did have one of these radars but this picture is somewhere else.
Despite the large outlay, the station had a very short operational life being reduced to inactive status by 1958. Two modern radio masts are now sited on the hilltop overlooking the technical block and within the original Rotor enclosure. Externally, the R11 technical block is in fair condition with open doors and windows, many with their glass still intact; it has now been put to agricultural use.
Corridor of sheep shit - didn't venture too far down here as it was obvious it had been stripped out and used for animals
Inside the R11 block - the air-con unit
The stand-by set house
Inside the stand-by set house
View over the site - really quit peaceful with the view of the sea beyond the building
Close to the road, concrete steps lead down to the base of a demolished building, which was the guardhouse. A smaller extant building alongside was for the police dogs. Internally this building has a number of half height partition walls which was the dog food preparation area. The filter beds for the sewage works can also still be seen close to the boundary
Washing up required
1997 calendar - Readers tractors
Artifical insemination? What on earth is that...
Tea time
Farmer's base
Enjoyed this explore
Plan
Type 14 radar photo
All from Subterranea Britannica web site
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/m/murlough_bay/
----------------------
Riding round the north-eastern coast of Northern Ireland on our motorbike we found this place and stopped for a mooch. Initially disappointing, but with a small gem in the last door I looked in.
The history: The final stage of the ROTOR Programme (Rotor 3) was to provide radar cover for the north and west of the British Isles, which were still exposed to attack, and to give low and surface level cover over the Atlantic, the absence of which prevented effective action against low flying enemy aircraft.
Rotor 3 included five new Chain Home Extra Low (CHEL) stations equipped with Stage 1 radar equipment to enable detection and tracking of low flying aircraft. The proposed stations were at Kilchiaran, Murlough Bay, Prestatyn, Snaefell and West Myne (demolished). These were to be heavily built operations blocks, designated R11; the above ground version of an R2 bunker.
It was hoped that The ROTOR 3 programme would be complete by 1957 and all technical aspects were classified as 'Super Priority'. Until they were completed arrangements were made to use mobile equipment in an emergency.
The site chosen for RAF Murlough Bay (Rotor code URB) was a green field site on a plateau overlooking the sea one and a half miles south west of Murlough Bay on the Antrim coast in Northern Ireland. An above ground R11 technical block was chosen because of the adverse weather conditions. Two radars were to be provided, one Type 14 Mk. IX search radar on a gantry and one Type 13 Mk. VII height finder on a plinth. A standby set house was to be located alongside the technical block. The station was to be equipped with six 60A consoles, one 61 console and two video map units. The proposed completion date for the station was April 1956.
Original plan of main building
Murloch Bay did have one of these radars but this picture is somewhere else.
Despite the large outlay, the station had a very short operational life being reduced to inactive status by 1958. Two modern radio masts are now sited on the hilltop overlooking the technical block and within the original Rotor enclosure. Externally, the R11 technical block is in fair condition with open doors and windows, many with their glass still intact; it has now been put to agricultural use.
Corridor of sheep shit - didn't venture too far down here as it was obvious it had been stripped out and used for animals
Inside the R11 block - the air-con unit
The stand-by set house
Inside the stand-by set house
View over the site - really quit peaceful with the view of the sea beyond the building
Close to the road, concrete steps lead down to the base of a demolished building, which was the guardhouse. A smaller extant building alongside was for the police dogs. Internally this building has a number of half height partition walls which was the dog food preparation area. The filter beds for the sewage works can also still be seen close to the boundary
Washing up required
1997 calendar - Readers tractors
Artifical insemination? What on earth is that...
Tea time
Farmer's base
Enjoyed this explore