Hangar and Romney hut N of M5 Exeter

mawganmad;35219 wrote:

... just east of Exeter and also north of the M5 is the area sector ops building, just east of that, and right next to the motorway, is a building that looks like an F type gas decontamination centre but has windows. Anyone here know what it was?

... should be easy to find as immediately east of sector ops and right next to northern side of motorway.

Guess it must be this which is here .

Graham

Carnaby;35232 wrote:

Most of Locking has gone, but the tower remains
Several entries report that it was designed to resemble a church tower to disguise its location.

Graham

Graham, fantastic work, from that one sentence I knew that was it. This did indeed look like a church initially with the castlelated top, but as we drove by it was definately a water tower, a bit shorter than normal I would say. Appeared to be some ministry housing around it aswel.

Paul, brilliant, that is the hangar and Romney. Thanks for everyones input and detective work.

It's surprising what is along that stretch of the M5, there is an army looking place at Culompton, with some handcraft huts in really good nick, and the site just east of the above mentioned water tower, but to the south of the M5

Go on then NP, my head hurts!

I thought a Quonset was one of those strange octaganal temporary British huts?
I do know that Quonset Point was a US Navy air station (P-5 Marlin a fave of mine!), so I assume these are the American version of a Romney or Nissen.
Can you briefly take us through the details?

mawganmad;35237 wrote:

It's surprising what is along that stretch of the M5, there is an army looking place at Culompton, with some handcraft huts in really good nick,

Diggerland?

mawganmad;35237 wrote:

.. and the site just east of the above mentioned water tower, but to the south of the M5

Bristol Aeroplane Company's shadow factory at Banwell, now an industrial estate, buildings of which once housed exibits of the Bristol Aero Collection before they moved to Kemble.

Diggerland? That must be shrine to the JCB!

I suggested Diggerland somewhat tongue-in-cheek, as it's the only place around Cullompton that I can think of adjacent to the motorway with anything remotely militaristic about it.

I have a link to the Diggerland website, but I'm not going to post it, due to the incredably naff music that is emanating from my speakers.

Up by Bridgwater is the former Royal Ordnance Factory at Puriton that used to make RDX (tenuous aviation link). I wonder how many who hurtle past know that it was, until recently, in the business of manufacturing explosives.

I'm glad this post re-emerged!

No it's not digger land, it's now an industrial estate, just next to the Columpton services as you come off the roundabout.

the building that I said was next to the Exeter sector ops is actually about 1/4 of a mile NE from it, and right next to the motorway north edge. It definately looks air ministry, and very much like a later gas decon, with tall chimneys etc - but has windows?

Also noticed a larger hangar type, (or large stores) at the USN site at Exeter. Is this site still owned by the MoD as it looks well kept but not commercialised?

Yorkie370;36252 wrote:

Bristol Aeroplane Company's shadow factory at Banwell, now an industrial estate, buildings of which once housed exibits of the Bristol Aero Collection before they moved to Kemble.

The housing estate HERE was site of the Banwell shadow factory.

Imeddiately opposite on the easter flank of the M5 is the Knightcott Industrial Estate . It is not clear whether this was part of Banwell, or RAF Locking, being described on the web as the 'Accomodation and Training site'. There are however references to it having a 'Training Dome', which I remembered from decades ago and mentioned in this thread .

Re Diggerland - I wondered if it was where Guy Gibson's dog was burried (having being politically renamed for the new film) .
Graham