Building record 4084/0/0 - Royal Ordnance Factory at Willaston/Hooton (ROF10)

<1> CBA, 2002, Defence of Britain Project, 4046 (Digital Archive). SCH4380.

World War 2 Royal Ordnance factory at Hooton/Willaston. Gatehouse at SJ347775

<2> County Historic Environment Record, Site Visit/Watching Brief Observation Report Form, 06/05/04 (Unpublished Document). SCH4357.

Intact though damaged - windows smashed and walls graffittied etc

<3> AMEC, 2013, NTH Roften Works, Historic Building Record (Client Report). SCH7260.

Site purchased in 1939 for use as a Royal Ordnance Factory. Named Royal Ordance Factory Ten (ROF10) , known as ROFTEN or Roften Works. ROFTEN was an engineering factory producing metal based components ( gun barrrels, mechanisms and spare parts). Good transport links essential for supply and distribution of materials and finished components so the ROF was situated adjacent to Hooton Station and a siding provided. The entrance to site had a gatehouse and there were additional workshops, warehouses, office buildings and an electricity substation to the North and South of the main maufactory building. Perimeter defences include pillboxes and a semi circular brick wall of unknown function.

A detailed building recording report was produced in 2013 prior to proposed redevelopment of the site for housing.

The main manufactory building is a large warehouse building constructed as a steel structure with brick cladding, arranges in 8 bays with an extra bay on the west elevation. A further ware house is oncorparated in the interior. There are a number of attached buildings which are thought to be later additions but were present on OS mapping from 1954, including a turbine house, ablutions blocks, offices and mess rooms.

There are multiple large ventilation stacks on the roof of the building. Two firewatchers towers with bell shaped metal shelters project from the roof, supported by lattice work towers with ladders and water pipework.

Standard guage railway track (from the railway siding) enter the building through the western entrances and ran the full width of the building.

<4> Grace's Guide to British Industrial History, http://www.gracesguide.co.uk/Constructors (Web Site). SCH8255.

Firewatchers shelters like thise were constructed by Constructors Ltd of edgbaston Birmingham. An advert for the "Consul" shelter can be seen on the Graces guide to Industrial History website