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A nuclear reporting cell covering military sites in the far south west (Culdrose and St. Mawgan) was located at Hartland point; in c.1975 the NRC was relocated to the disused at Truro ROC Group control. In 1980 it was proposed to put an early warning radar station (control and reporting post) at Hartland point however Portreath was chosen instead. If this scheme had gone ahead at Hartland Point the new radar would have been mobile as was early radar at Portreath and the R8 would have been refurbished for administration. The station finally |
RAF HARTLAND POINT TODAY
Although all the buildings at Hartland Point have been cleared there is still evidence of the former radar station to be seen on common land which is freely accessible.. The concrete base of the R8 technical building can still be seen in a hollow below the current CAA radar. It is still possible to make out the position of the internal partition walls and at one end of the building a concrete engine bed survives. The base of the standby set house with another engine bed can be seen nearby together with a pile of concrete fence posts from the former compound. On the hill above is the base of one of the radar plinths with steps leading up to its former entrance, this would have been for a Type 13 radar. Two sets of concrete gantry bases for the Type13 and 14 radars can also be seen in the undergrowth. |
Site plan of RAF Hartland Point. Although all the buildings have been demolished the site of most of the buildings can be identified on the ground.
Drawn by Nick Catford from a plan held in the Sub Brit Archive
At Baxworthy Corner the VHF/UHF transmitter buildings are still extant. Transmitter and receiver blocks come in two sizes designated 'small' and 'large'; those at Hartland Point were small. As built, the transmitter building comprised the transmitter hall, mechanical and electrical room, store, workshop, staff room and toilet with a 90' wooden aerial tower alongside. The tower has gone but the transmitter building and the standby set house both survive in a derelict condition. Some wiring and switchgear remains |
At Rosedown the married quarters are now in private occupation with houses with Officers' accommodation at the east end of the main east – west road and married airmen’s' accommodation at the other end. Two huts survive in original condition, one is currently used by the ATC maintaining an RAF interest at the domestic site while the other close to the entrance to the camp is gutted and fire damaged; this was probably originally the station headquarters. Two further huts have been refurbished, one is now the coastguard station. The 10 bay brick MT (Mechanical Transport) shed also survives in a derelict but sound condition.
Sources:
For further photos of RAF Hartland Point click here
[Source: Nick Catford]
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