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Report - - Former war department munitions depot - Barlby , Yorkshire - June 2021 | Military Sites | 28DaysLater.co.uk

Report - Former war department munitions depot - Barlby , Yorkshire - June 2021

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MK83

Wife and husband
28DL Full Member
Had this place pinned for a while as these small overlooked military sites are right up our street.

History - This place is a bit unusual as while it's a munitions depot it was built in 1889 and is grade two listed owing to the fact that it's largely complete and considered to be a forerunner to the industrial scale munitions depots built during world war one and two.
In the Victorian period, the supply of munitions and ordinance to the British Army went through a complex series of administrative changes after the abolition of the Board of Ordnance in 1855, following the Board’s poor performance during the Crimean War. Army reforms instigated by Edward Cardwell, Secretary of State for War 1868-1874, saw a strengthening of the role of the War Office in the supply of munitions. In 1889 the War Department constructed a gunpowder magazine linked by a siding to the Selby to Market Weighton railway line, and then expanded the facility in 1890.
During the First World War, the chemical works established by Ardol Limited on Balby Road in 1904 became a Trench Warfare Filling Factory, charging chemical shells as well as producing hydrogen and hydrogenated oils for use in munitions. This plant, only located a short distance to the west on the bank of the River Ouse, may have used the magazine as a storage facility. The deport consists of multiple storage buildings and sheds and 3 cottages used to house police officers who were based on the site. I've included a map highlighting the various buildings and what I think they are and the site plan from historic England. The one building from the depot plan i haven't marked on the google map is the one that still looks active and is full of farming equipment so we left that one alone.

The explore - This site is on an active farm, most of the buildings have been used for farming purposes at some point and a couple are still in use. We had no issue wandering round and there's quite a bit to see if you like military history. A lot of the original doors and signage remain which we found cool.

Depot plan from historic England.

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Satellite map with the bits we explored marked.

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Gunpowder Store, built 1889.

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View attachment

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Sentry Post.

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Various munitions stores, built pre 1905.

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Corrugated sheds, built pre 1905.

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Policemen's cottages, built 1889.

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Thanks for looking.
 

MK83

Wife and husband
28DL Full Member
This is fantastic. Not seen this place before..
Thanks, I couldn't find it on here. I found it trawling historic England and google maps. It's a cool place, I think there a couple of bits from the historic England survey that i missed, according to the survey there's remnants of a tramway and platform there as well but i ran out of time so didn't find it. Worth a mooch for anyone that's interested in military history.
 

Mikeymutt🐶

28DL Regular User
Regular User
Thanks. It is a very interesting place. I've been to a few munitions stores and this one is the oldest and most intact that i've seen so far.
It looks it I would deffo look if near as anything military interests me.
 

grantellissheffield

28DL Full Member
28DL Full Member
Makes for a good mooch about and some nice colours and old flaking paint..cant believe it's not been on here before its well know about.. Just don't park at the main gate like some do as your gunna get your car towed if the farmer turns up..
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MK83

Wife and husband
28DL Full Member
Makes for a good mooch about and some nice colours and old flaking paint..cant believe it's not been on here before its well know about.. Just don't park at the main gate like some do as your gunna get your car towed if the farmer turns up..
FB_IMG_1624259818754.jpg


FB_IMG_1624259833246.jpg


FB_IMG_1624259809128.jpg
We were surprised it wasnt on here as theres evidence of other explorers (stickers). Not being from the area we'd never heard of it but these are the kind of places we like so spend time looking for them.
 

Calamity Jane

i see beauty in the unloved, places & things
Regular User
Nice this. Not seen it before. Some lovely remnants left. The map is cool. I did giggle at piggeries, never thought of them as that, just plain old pig farms. Gun powder store is a great design.
 

MK83

Wife and husband
28DL Full Member
Very nice that, cant beat a bit of original sing writing

Thanks, The signs and the architecture are the best bit at this place.

Nice this. Not seen it before. Some lovely remnants left. The map is cool. I did giggle at piggeries, never thought of them as that, just plain old pig farms. Gun powder store is a great design.

Thanks. I hadn't noticed the word "piggeries" but from now on that's what i'm gonna call them. Great word......
 

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