Needles test rocket site report.

[Rick W]

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.13724

[Andy Brockman]

Thanks for pointing this out. Goes to show why it is worth checkout the EH web site from time to time- they post things like this which are very useful, but don't always announce it through the various Archaeology lists such as the CBA [britarch] list which everyone else uses.

 

Doubly pleased to see this as I was at the Needles a couple of years ago and got thoroughly intrigued by the whole place.

 

If anyone is ever over on the Isle of White it is worth visiting Thornes Bay on the north of the Island. You can still see the 12 shore end pipes of SOLO, the Pipe Line Under the Solent, which was part of the PLUTO network. Go at low tide to see it at its best. Thorness is not far from the Military Museum at Cowes. There is also a section of PLUTO at Shanklin Chine and a pump and other material at Bembridge Heritage Center.

 

There is also a good EH report on Fort Pitt at Chatham, including some good wartime air photographs and a full history of the site, linked from the same page.

 

Andy B

[Jack]

 

If anyone is ever over on the Isle of White it is worth visiting Thornes Bay on the north of the Island. You can still see the 12 shore end pipes of SOLO, the Pipe Line Under the Solent, which was part of the PLUTO network. Go at low tide to see it at its best. Thorness is not far from the Military Museum at Cowes. There is also a section of PLUTO at Shanklin Chine and a pump and other material at Bembridge Heritage Center.

 

 

 

Andy B

 

Andy is there anything shoreside left of PLUTO??

[Rick W]

Shanklin Chine is wortha visit, its not only a nice way to spend an afternoon but there are remains of the pipe there. Am I right in thinking that part of the PLUTO pipes came out of a building on one of the beaches, the name escapes me now. Militarch is a good website to join Andy, Australian based I think.

[Richard Farrant]

Andy is there anything shoreside left of PLUTO??

 

Jack,

 

If you mean on the Mainland, yes........at Lepe. There used to be the PLUTO mv show held there and you can see the pipes where they come out of the ground and go down the beach. Also just around the coast line, a short walk, is an area where Mulberry harbour sections were built and the remains of the workings are still there, with information boards.