SITE 8
Header House
January
1953 saw the start of construction of a huge new warehouse on Site 8. This was
located on the West side of Burtonwood Road and immediately north of the
Liverpool Manchester railway line. In fact a siding was taken from the line for
rail transport.
On
August 16th 1954 the warehouse was opened and became known as Header
House. It was the largest covered warehouse in Europe at the time with a length
of 5280 feet (one mile!) and a width of 1255 feet with a capacity of 5 million
cubic feet. Total building cost $12 million.
When
France quit NATO in 1967 the Americans looked to Burtonwood and Header House to
store their military supplies, as the US forces were no longer welcome in
France. So RAF Burtonwood had a new lease of life when the US Army took control
in February 1967.
With
the ending of the cold war and with a reduction in the US military budget,
Header House became surplus to requirements and the US Army pulled out in the
summer of 1993.
Now in May 2004 the long leg has been completely demolished to make way for redevelopment. Soon the short leg will follow and the whole site will become Chapelford Urban Village.
In 2011 Header House and the warehouses have gone, consumed by an urban sprawl.
RAF sign once on RH side of Gate 12 |
US Army sign on LH side of Gate 12 |
Aerial view taken by me in 2000 |
US Army photograph jeeps along long led |
The BBQ along Burma Road |
Recreation site off Burma Road |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
US Army picture |
Arms strongroom Warehouse M |
Entrance to strongroom behind cage |
Oblique view of strongroom |
Warehouse N used to store POMCUS |
Warehouse N |
Warehouse N |
Warehouse P |
Warehouse P Recreational area and toilets |
Warehouse R Upper level used for vehicle storage |
Warehouse S Lower Level |
Warehouse S upper Level |
Warehouse S Upper Level |
Warehouse T Lower Level |
Warehouse T Rest Room |
Rear of the short leg 2000 |
Short leg 2000 |
What happened to the slurry? |
View north between the long and short legs 2000 |
Between the long and short legs 2000 |
Looking north 2000 |
Looking North West 2000 |
Looking somewhat untidy 2000 |
View of short leg from peri track 2000 |
13th May 1992 |
View along long leg |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
13th May 1992 |
Site plan |
Door 5 |
Door 8 |
Inside the building |
The strongroom in Header House |
Inside the soundproofed strongroom |
Stripped equipment rack. This room probably housed the US Army HF radio station |
Transmission line that once connected to an HF yagi antenna located behind Header House between the long and short legs |
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Doorway to the Chapel, 2000 |
Construction of the warehouse in 1954 |
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