Re: Nobody is quite sure what it was originally built for.
One of the most striking bits was one of the buildings apparently being where the AWE did nuclear bake-offs to see how well they'd last in a fire.
AWRE (as it was) had plans in place to destroy nuclear weapons in a hurry if some impolite invaders from points East got to the bunkers holding them in West Germany before the weapons could be repatriated (or used). The equipment comprised a strap of thermite compound wrapped around the middle of the bomb casing, a time fuze initiator and a pair of running shoes. It's possible such contingency procedures were tested at Orford (minus the Sparkly Stuff, probably).
Biting the hand that feeds IT
