Fort Halstead

Fort Halstead is a research site of Dstl, an Executive Agency of the Ministry of Defence. It is situated on the crest of the Kentish North Downs, overlooking the town of Sevenoaks. Originally constructed in 1892 as one of a ring of fortresses around London, Fort Halstead was to be manned by volunteers in the event of a crisis. The base went on to become home to the Ministry of Supply, from which it became the headquarters of the Royal Armament Research and Development Establishment (RARDE). cite news| url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/kent/content/articles/2006/04/11/off_beaten_track_halstead_feature.shtml| last=Ogley| first=Bob| date=2006-04-12| title=Off the beaten track: Halstead| publisher=BBC| accessdate=2007-02-19]

It is believed that Britain's development of the atomic bomb, hidden under the name High Explosive Research ("HER") was initially based at RARDE, where the first atomic bomb was developed under the directorship of William George Penney, who had been appointed Chief Superintendent Armament Research ("CSAR", called "Caesar") by C. P. Snow. "Operation Hurricane" saw the bomb conveyed by frigate to Australia and successfully exploded in the Montebello Islands. In 1950 it is thought that the "HER" research was moved to a new site at AWRE Aldermaston in Berkshire.

In 1991, RARDE was amalgamated into the Defence Research Agency, which itself merged in 1995 to form the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). Following a split of DERA in 2001, the Fort Halstead site was gifted to QinetiQ who leased part of the site back to Dstl. In March 2006 QinetiQ sold the site to Hines and Deutsche Bank for an undisclosed sum.

Its most recent principal functions have been research and forensic analysis into explosives, and the site's Forensic Explosives Laboratory was used in the investigation following the attempted 21 July 2005 London bombings. [cite news| url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/terrorism/story/0,,1997687,00.html?gusrc=rss&feed=1| title=July 21 suspect admits making bombs| date=2007-01-24| publisher=The Guardian| accessdate=2007-02-20] The facility has been the largest employer in the Sevenoaks district, with 1,300 personnel working on the site in 2000. [cite news| url=http://www.sevenoaks.gov.uk/news/archive/888.asp| title=Future of Fort Halstead under discussion| date=2000-09-19| publisher=Sevenoaks District Council| accessdate=2007-02-19]

References

ee also

* Alan Feraday
* Thomas Hayes
* Investigation into the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103
* Blue Peacock nuclear land mine
* UK nuclear weapons development
* Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE or the Harwell Laboratory)
* Atomic Weapons Research Establishment (AWRE)

External links

* [http://www.dstl.gov.uk Dstl - Defence Science and Technology Laboratory]
* [http://maps.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=51.312468~0.149077&style=a&lvl=16&tilt=-90&dir=0&alt=-1000 Fort Halstead Aerial Photograph] (Microsoft Live Maps)
* [http://www.forthalstead.com Fort Halstead redevelopment plans]