Site Records
Site Name: Greenwich Borough Control 51C1Southwood
Road New Eltham S.E.9 RSG Site Visit 9th March 2003
The rectangular
windowless blockhouse was built in 1954 as Woolwich Borough Control but when Woolwich
merged with Greenwich in 1965 it took over the role as the Greenwich Borough Control
(before the merger the Greenwich control was at Greenwich Town Hall). The control
was part of the South East London Group (see features: The
London Civil Defence Controls ) reporting the the Regional Group War HQ at
Chislehurst and later to Pear
Tree House.  In 1980, a GLC report said the bunker was not fit
for use and a new site should be found. The basement of the borough treasurer's
department was considered but it wasn't until 1991 that a new unprotected control
centre was located in the basement of Peggy Middleton House. Until that date although
unusable, Greenwich's control was officially at New Eltham. The last exercise
held in the bunker was Floodprove 1976, at that time flooding was a real threat
in the Borough prior to the opening of the Thames Barrier in 1984. The
emergency exit at the rear of the building has now been bricked up and a steel
plate was bolted over the recessed entrance door. This steel plate has now become
detached allowing an external inspection of the former Borough Control.  The entrance to the blockhouse is though an air
lock consisting of two steel plate blast doors opening onto a narrow spine corridor.
The first room on the right is the plant room which still retains all its plant
in good condition. This consists of two fans feeding into the metal trunking that
runs into all the rooms in the bunker. The filters have been removed or more than
likely were never installed. The ventilation plant was supplied by GN Hayden of
London. A 16 hp Lister diesel generator stands on a concrete plinth at one side
of the room with electrical switchgear mounted on the opposite wall.  The next room on the right is the 'Signals Room'
This has long bench tables with acoustic booths around three walls. Three of the
booths were allocated to 'Operator 2', 'Operator 3' and 'Distribution Clerk'.
There is a floor standing manual switchboard and two small 10 line magneto switchboards.
There is a small GPO distribution rack on the wall. There is also a Pye valve
radio transceiver sitting in one of the booths. There is a message hatch between
this room and the adjacent 'Operations Room'. The floor is strewn with papers
and there are numerous notices pinned to the wall relating to 'Exercise Floodprove
1976' The Operations room is the largest room in the bunker. It is now
largely empty with a few tables and chairs. There is a resources board leaning
against the wall and a large 1:50,000 map of South East London and North Kent
on one wall. There is also an single acoustic booth in one corner, this still
has a WB1401 carrier receiver with a loudspeaker unit. This installation dates
from the 1980's and confirms that the bunker was, at least, available for use
until the new control centre was opened in Peggy Middleton House in 1995. All
other evidence confirms that the control hasn't been used since the mid 1970's.
 The final room on the right is sub-divided into
two rooms. The inner room was the 'Controllers Room' with a desk and wooden filing
cabinet and two maps on the wall, one a 1:25,000 map of South East London and
the other a map of Greater London showing the borough boundaries. The outer 'L'
shaped room is strewn with papers, many relating to the Greenwich emergency feeding
plan. There are a large number of stacked metal chairs, several desks and a large
sloping map table and a single acoustic booth. There is an incident location board
and more notices referring to Exercise Floodprove 1976. The emergency escape hatch
was in the back wall of this room but this now has a metal plate bolted over it
to prevent access. There is direct access into this room both from the operations
room and the spine corridor.
At the end of the spine corridor is the 'Scientific Advisors Room'.
This has a 6" map of the London Borough of Greenwich with a plastic
overlay. There is also a street map of Greenwich.
Moving back down the corridor towards the entrance, the next room on
the right has no specific designation. There are further desks and chairs,
two metal filing cabinets, one wooden filing cabinet and a metal office
cupboard. Sitting on one of the desks there is a battery switching unit
with five meters.
Beyond this room is the kitchen which
has a 1950's electric cooker, a Butler sink with a wooden draining board, a 1950's
kitchen cupboard with a fold down food preparation table and electric kettle,
a water heater and three water tanks mounted on the wall above the sink. There
is also a rack of Dexion shelving along one wall. The ladies toilet has
two flushing WC cubicles and three hand basins, the gents toilet also has a urinal.
The final room, opposite the plant room, is a store room with Dexion shelving
around three walls. There are numerous oil cans, cleaning materials and garden
tools. The bunker is damp with mould on many of the surfaces but although
it is strewn with rubbish there is no evidence of deliberate vandalism or damage.
Greenwich Council have been informed that the bunker is open and it is hoped that
they will secure it before it is wrecked. It is located behind New Eltham Library
adjacent to a public park. Those taking part in the visit were Nick
Catford
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