Picture: RAF Holmpton operating in the 1970's as a Master Comprehensive Radar Station

RAF HOLMPTON TODAY

  • Updated 30th March 2008
  • Scroll down this page for:
  • RAF HOLMPTON OVERVIEW
  • HISTORIC RAF HOLMPTON
  • ABOUT US
  • GREEN ISSUES
  • EMPLOYMENT POLICY

 The Restored 'MCRS' Operations Room

RAF HOLMPTON OVERVIEW -  The present site of RAF Holmpton was built between 1951 and 1952  and started its operational life in 1953 as an Early Warning Radar Station. Going on to become a principal radar site this remained operational until the relocation of the radars in 1974, the Station then became a training facility for RAF Radar Technicians until 1984 parented by RAF Leaconfield. During the mid 1980's it was refurbished as a new Emergency War HQ for RAF Support Command parented by RAF Brampton, but with the ending of the Cold War it reverted to training between 1992 and 1995, this time being used by the RAF Regiment, the RAF Police, the ROC and the TA once again parented by RAF Leconfield. Extensive rebuilding in 1995 saw it become an Experimetal Electronic Warware Operations Centre with projected plans for a further massive rebuild. However this final phase did not proceed and RAF Holmpton eventually moved onto care and maintenance by Aqumen Defence in year 2000 now parented by RAF Digby but under the control of Personnel and Training Command HQ at RAF Innsworth. This was only to be a short period of inactivity as on 10th February 2003 the site moved onto its current long term future plan. 

HISTORIC RAF HOLMPTON -  February 2003 saw the start of this new project to gradually restore the whole site and initially provide a facility holding Archives and photographs of underground defence establishments built in the British Isles between 1945 and the present day. In early 2004 limited access allowed public visitors below ground for the first time in over 50 years and by August 2004 this progressed to providing a new exhibition along with guided tours of the Preserved Heritage Areas of the Command Bunker. By 2005 this had expanded into a major exhibition with regular public opening times and 2006/7 has seen further expansion and improvement of the visitor experience with the incorporation of many original artefacts throughout the displays. Investment in the site is currently (2007) running at just over £1,250,000 and the project is a long term (10 year) programme which will need a final estimated budget of around £1,750,000. This will eventually see full restoration of the site projected for 2010. The support and surface buildings and landscape have all been refurbished and the underground building has 7 of 8 phases of refurbishment now complete. During 2008 this work will continue and further areas of the underground building will be opened to visitors. Work is currently on schedule and running just under budget. Since 2003 the project has continually evolved and the majority of the originally stored archive material relating to RAF Holmpton is now on display throughout the exhibitions, thus making this much more accessibale to the visiting public and increasing the authenticity of the permanent displays. The extensive film and image library is regularly used to create our own audio visual presentations throughout the public areas and this has further enhanced and extended the displays, enabling us to continually improve and update the exhibitions. In 2007 a new TV and Video Studio was installed and this affords us the benefits of digital film and audio processing. We have recently digitised our extensive photographic library and we still hold the negatives and original prints on site. However, the remainder of the archive files and material relating to other underground defence sites has now been taken over by Subterranea Britannica (the UK's foremost society of underground places) and this extensive collection will now become available to the public through their own website, which will provide an unsurpassed resource of information to the public sector. You can access their site from our links page.

ABOUT US  -  The co-ordination of the whole project at Holmpton is run by HIPPO (or to give it's full name: The Holmpton Initiative Project Planning Office) which took over the management contract of the site in January 2007. Although the site is still a part of the Defence Estate, the project is privately funded and not a part of the MOD. This simply means that for the next 25 years the site will be maintained and preserved at no cost to the Government or Taxpayer.  HIPPO therefore manages the PUBLIC VISITS to the Preserved Heritage Areas of the Underground Bunker Facility  - The Displays and Exhibitions - The Historic Documents and Archives Facility - The Photographic & Film Archive and the VTR Studio Facility -The Land & Buildings Management and the day to day Technical Maintenance of the site including the IT & Interpretations systems, along with the HVAC & Systems Engineering. But most important of all it also supervises and implements the restoration works, ensuring point of operation delivery and implementation of the total scheme at ground level, whilst overseeing a commitment to economic value and minimal environmental impact. Backed by our team's past experience of implementing and delivering (on schedule) four major National Heritage Sites. Hellfire Corner Secret Wartime Tunnels at Dover Castle for English Heritage - The Western Approaches WWII Headquarters for the City of Liverpool - Scotland's Secret Bunker near St Andrews and The Furze Hill AAOR Bunker in Essex. HIPPO continues to consult on other major projects and is currently (February 2008) about to start work on the refurbishment of the Scotland's Secret Bunker exhibition along with carrying out extensive improvements to the tour and exhibitons at RAF Holmpton before re-opening for the 2008 season. The restoration project at Holmpton is currently set to complete during 2009 and at that stage HIPPO will hand over the management of the site to a newly formed Preservation Society that will take it forward as a major National Site of Historical Interest.   

GREEN ISSUES -  We are proud of our continued track record of conservation and preservation. Yorkshire Water have completed (2007) a new scheme improving both the integrity of the fresh water supply to the site & the drainage of natural land water. An example of this is our storage of over 55,000gallons of rain water which we use for land maintenance/vehicle washing etc, further reducing our call of the main supply. Our water consumption has been minimised with flow meters and reduced capacity equipment and we process all our main drainage through our on site effluent works. 2007 saw a major commitment to energy conservation and the entire site is now fitted with energy effecient lighting with our external lighting fitted with shielding to mimimise vertical light pollution. We have also completed (November 2007 with Yorkshire Electricity) a totally new power supply scheme, which has done away with our original high voltage sub station and replaced this with a new low voltage supply. Back in the 1950's the radar station drew up to 1megawatt from the national grid and even up to 2003 the station might at any time draw up to 300Kva. We have now installed new energy effecient central heating together with new air conditioning and water heating systems and even if everything in the building was turned on at full power at the same time (which it never is) our maximum call on the national grid would only be 42Kva, so we have achieved a truly massive reduction. In 2008 we will be installing new generators in our power station and these will enable us to run free of the grid in times of emergency. Our new generators will have a maximum capacity of 25Kva which is in itself again a massive reduction from our old generators which had a call of 300Kva. The contract for this part of the new system has not been awarded as yet but we are investugating the possibility of using gas generators as an alternative. All our domestic and office waste is taken directly for recycling and our land is maintained without the use of fertilisers and we produce hay from our 31 acres during the spring/summer. Being a fenced site we are able to protect and not disturb our wildlife. We have resident birds on site including Kestrel & Owls, and we belong to a local scheme providing Owl boxes. We are justifiably proud of our approach to the environment and our extensive energy - water and waste projects have achieved a reduction in our carbon footprint of 85%. 

   

Just over 1 mile of fencing & hedgerows with 31 acres of land provide a 'Haven' for Wildlife

EMPLOYMENT POLICY - We are an equal opportunities employer and have a policy of comprehensive inclusion for all regardless of race - creed - orientation or age. We are signed up to 'Positive About Disabled' and 'Age Partnership Group' - In year 2000 we won a Millennium Award for our policy on Social Exclusion.

       An Independent Finance Initiative (IFI)

 Visitor Counter

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 PRESERVING RAF HOLMPTON

HIPPO at RAF Holmpton 2008