Monument record MDO47861 - Nitration Plant, Royal Naval Cordite Factory Holton Heath, Wareham St Martin

Nitration plant, where nitric and sulphuric acids were combined with glycerene to produce nitroglycerine. A plan of 1922 depicts a charge house, a nitrator-separator, a washing house and a wash water settling house. The production method involved a process which required mixing batches of nitroglycerine. A serious accident occurred in June 1931, when a charge of nitroglycerine blew up, killing ten members of staff and destroying the nitrator house, the charge house, the filter house and the mixing house. The nitrator house was rebuilt on the same site, but with the lower half set below ground level. The wooden building was encased within a concrete structure reinforced with steel bars. The whole structure was then covered in earth and the resulting mound became known as 'Nitroglycerine Hill'. The plant was supplied with mixed acids via tanks contained in a brick structure to the north. A control trench designed for the coordination of defence during airborne attack, a storage building and a group of air raid shelters lie a short distance to the west.

<1> English Heritage, Scheduled Monument Notification, 25-Jun-01 (Scheduling record). SDO17381.

<2> National Record of the Historic Environment, 1397363 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

Sep 13 2024 11:21AM