Ruddington Depot facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ruddington Depot |
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| near Ruddington | |
 Ruddington Depot
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| Coordinates | 52°53′N 1°08′W / 52.89°N 1.14°W |
| Type | Storage and Distribution Centre |
| Site information | |
| Open to the public |
No |
| Site history | |
| Built | 1942 |
| In use | 1942–1983 |
The Ruddington Ordnance & Supply Depot was a special place built during World War II (1939-1945) in the United Kingdom. It was like a big factory and storage area for military supplies, created by the Ministry of Defence. It was located near Ruddington, in Nottinghamshire, and took about a year and a half to build. At its busiest, it had over 200 buildings and employed around 4,000 people.
The depot stopped making new supplies in 1945. After that, it became a place where old military vehicles and equipment were stored and sold off. It finally closed in 1985. Today, the land where it once stood is part of the beautiful Rushcliffe Country Park.
Contents
Building the Ruddington Depot
When World War II started, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) looked for land to build new factories. These factories, called Royal Ordnance Factories, were very important for the war effort. They needed to be far from big towns for safety reasons, but also easy to reach by train. This allowed many workers to get there and helped move raw materials in and finished products out quickly.
Before 1940, the Ruddington site was just farmland. It was located along the Great Central Railway line, between the big cities of Nottingham and Leicester. The plan was for this factory, called ROF Ruddington, to fill ammunition shells. It was expected to employ up to 6,000 people.
The MoD bought the land in the summer of 1940. By December 1940, construction workers began leveling the ground. At one point, about 100,000 workers were involved in building the site. Besides the more than 200 buildings, a special railway line was built to Ruddington railway station for goods. A new train station, Ruddington Factory Halt railway station, was also built just for the workers.
How the Depot Operated
The Ruddington site was designed to produce a lot more ammunition than it actually did. Because of this, the unused part of the site was later turned into a storage area for weapons.
Filling Factory Operations
The first part of the site was set up as a filling factory, known as ROF Ruddington; Filling Factory No 14. Both gunpowder and empty shells arrived by train on separate tracks. These parts were only brought together in the filling halls. There were about 20 wooden buildings in the middle of the complex, each protected by its own blast wall. Once the shells were filled, they were moved to a small storage area. From there, they were either sent directly by train or taken to a separate, fenced storage area.
Storage Area Operations
The storage area was managed by the MoD as a completely separate facility from the filling factory. It held completed shells and other military supplies from both the Ruddington filling factory and other Royal Ordnance Factories. These supplies were then sent out by train or by road to local British Army and Home Guard units.
Self-Sufficient Facility
The entire Ruddington Depot was almost completely self-sufficient. This means it had everything it needed to run on its own, including:
- Two underground reservoirs for water
- A heating plant
- A sewage plant
- Several generators for power
- A telephone exchange
- Two canteens for food
- A surgery for medical care
- A laundry
- A bakery
- A mortuary
Because it was such an important war asset, the whole site had very strict security. Both on-site security staff and the MoD Police protected it around the clock.
Auctions: 1945-1985
After the war ended in 1945, the Ruddington Depot was no longer needed for making ammunition. So, the Ministry of Defence started using it to sell off old military vehicles and equipment. These auctions happened every eight weeks and were advertised in local and national newspapers. The site finally closed in 1983, and the auction operations moved to another location called Bicester.
Ruddington Today: Rushcliffe Country Park
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From 1985 onwards, there were plans to redevelop the old depot site. At first, some thought about building houses there. However, after objections from the local council, the site was divided into three main areas:
- North: The old railway lines and sidings were redeveloped into the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre. This is a place where old trains and railway equipment are preserved.
- East: This part was turned into a business park, now known as the Ruddington Fields Business Park.
- South: The largest part of the site was transformed into a recreational area. This cost £3.5 million and became the Rushcliffe Country Park. It covers about 210 acres (0.85 square kilometers) and is a popular place for people to enjoy nature and outdoor activities.
