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278:) naval bomb being prepared at Rotherwas was seen smoking. Three workers - JW Little, FJ Tyler and A Morris - started dousing the bomb with water. Six members of the factory fire brigade cooled the bomb down and 800 fellow workers were evacuated from the southern section of the factory. The bomb split open and exploded and Morris was killed. Assistant Fire Officer FA Lewis and Leading Fireman WJ Davies were thrown 30 foot out of the building. A second explosion was more powerful and the building collapsed on the firefighters, killing firefighter Vincent Carey. A third worker, trained in first aid, was helping colleagues and was also killed. The Hereford fire brigade and British, Canadian and American servicemen from the Herefordshire bases helped to bring the fire under control. In total, 31 bombs and mines exploded.
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In
September 2020, the newly refurbished Shell Store building opened at Rotherwas. A £7.3 million project built a new shell around the existing steel frame from 1916. It has room for up to 25 businesses, conference space and a cafe. Part of the original floor showing the imprints made by shells can
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The explosions damaged homes and businesses across the city. Nine hundred tons of live ammunition lay under the rubble and it took a month for a specialist team to make the site safe. WL Fitzmaurice defused 1500 pounds of explosives on his own to protect his colleagues whilst being continuously
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With vastly reduced production after World War II, the city and county council lobbied for various business to relocate to the site. As the ROF was reduced in scale, parts of the site were redeveloped with various commercial industrial facilities.
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were looking to create a number of munitions production facilities quickly and cheaply. A site of 100 hectares (250 acres) was acquired by the
Ministry on 15 June 1916, located south of Hereford on the junction of the
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The only ROF of 25 sites retained between the wars, it was put into care and maintenance from 1920. From 1926 onwards it resumed filling gas shells, staffed by about 400 men. By the late 1930s it was used by the
61:. After the death of Count Louis Pomian Lubienski Bodenham in 1912, the family line ended. The Rotherwas estate was dismantled in 1913. Thirteen of the mansion's wood panelled rooms were sent to America (the
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All components were produced elsewhere, with the facility responsible for final production: inserting explosive into shells, and fitting detonators. Shell filling began on 11 November 1916, with both
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370 buildings varying in floor area. Like a typical munitions facility, the buildings were widely spaced on safety reasons, to avoid complete destruction of the facility in case of an explosion
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at ROF Rotherwas. She was presented with a letter of commendation from the
Director General CS Robinson for her bravery in transporting the injured to hospital despite being injured herself.
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two stage centrifugal pump at
Rotherwas. The fire engine has been fully restored and is part of a special exhibition in the Rotherwas Building at the Waterworks Museum.
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At peak of 6,000 employees; by
October 1918, there were 5,943 employees, 3,977 of which were women. Workers were transported in from billets in Hereford,
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57:- owned the Rotherwas estate, which included a mansion house, Rotherwas Court, and 2,500 acres (1,000 ha) of land on the south side of the
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Former ROF Rotherwas distribution buildings from World War II, now used for commercial purposes just north of
Netherwood Road. August 2009
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The ROF closed in 1967. In 1975 Herefordshire County
Council bought 93 hectares (230 acres) for redevelopment as an
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One of the now derelict distribution buildings. Note the overhead rails for carrying munitions.
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shells. By the end of WW1, the average output of shells from the facility was 70,000 per week.
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232:. The site employed over 8,000 staff, mainly women. The site suffered three major incidents:
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as a munitions store. During WW2 this land was again requisitioned for defence and became
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depicting damage to the site and demolished buildings. The painting is now part of the
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to the specially built factory station, with free tickets supplied to all employees.
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explosives being used in production. From June 1918, alongside the main plant at
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360:. A number of World War I buildings survive, as does a group of World War II
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In the early 20th century, the
Lubienski-Bodenham family - descended from
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646:"Wow! Transformation of Hereford's old Shell Store is just stunning"
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In 2003, volunteers from the
Hereford Waterworks Museum found a
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and supporting site at
Chittenden; all three were supplied with
634:. Imperial War Museum Collection. Retrieved: 21 December 2022.
261:) bomb exploded during filling operations exploded (see below)
69:) and the land was put up for sale. At the resultant auction,
228:, the facility was used to produce shells, and bombs for the
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The Home Front 1914-1918: How Britain Survived the Great War
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to the north-east, now used as industrial starter units.
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and 34 other commendations to workers for their bravery.
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overheated, creating explosions which killed three people
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5-cylinder diesel engine, multi belt drive system and a
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bomber dropped two 250 kg bombs, killing 22 people
110:. Laid out to a standard design, the site encompassed:
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bought 185 acres (75 ha) that was overlooked by
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The History of Rotherwas Munitions Factory, Hereford
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The History of Rotherwas Munitions Factory, Hereford
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10 miles (16 km) of footpaths and sentry paths
587:. Herefordshire: Logaston Press. pp. 73–77.
16:Former ordnance factory in Herefordshire, England
619:Hereford Waterworks Museum Rotherwas Building
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631:A Royal Ordnance Factory Explosion, Hereford
330:A Royal Ordnance Factory Explosion, Hereford
328:recalled the explosion in a painting called
132:A rail connected outpost was established at
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608:Hereford Times January 13th 1945 Page 7
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549:Ian F.W. Beckett (31 December 2013).
384:His great-grand daughter was actress
108:Hereford, Ross and Gloucester Railway
77:and was bordered by the Wye meadows.
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714:Buildings and structures in Hereford
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189:Hereford Barrs Court railway station
724:Royal Ordnance Factories in England
407:"New York Times". 26 February 1912.
123:9 miles (14 km) of guard fence
644:Wilson, John (25 September 2020).
436:"Royal Ordnance Factory Rotherwas"
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719:Military history of Herefordshire
187:. Dedicated trains were run from
307:Miss Mona Cawthorne was in the
89:Workers at Rotherwas during WW1
503:"Rotherwas Ordnance, Hereford"
120:3 miles (4.8 km) of roads
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440:Herefordshire County Council
71:Herefordshire County Council
528:. Oxford University Press.
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309:Mechanised Transport Corps
524:Haber L.F. (1986). "10".
166:National Smelting Company
270:On 30 May 1944, a 2,000
243:27 July 1942: a single
140:, once the home of the
685:52.037926°N 2.690392°W
583:Edmonds, John (2004).
482:Edmonds, John (2004).
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162:dichloroethyl sulphide
116:standard gauge railway
114:27 miles (43 km)
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24:Royal Ordnance Factory
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294:British Empire Medals
253:30 May 1944: a 2,000
236:12 September 1941: a
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99:Ministry of Munitions
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690:52.037926; -2.690392
282:soaked by hosepipe.
681: /
526:The Poisonous Cloud
505:. archaeologists.tv
334:Imperial War Museum
142:Special Air Service
93:At the outbreak of
29:, No 4, located in
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320:Mather & Platt
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104:Welsh Marches Line
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53:, the daughter of
709:Filling factories
486:. Logaston Press.
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653:. Retrieved
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566:. Retrieved
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507:. Retrieved
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336:collection.
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326:Ruskin Spear
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226:World War II
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212:World War II
204:for filling
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138:RAF Hereford
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75:Dinedor Hill
65:survives at
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688: /
655:21 December
386:Rula Lenska
362:Romney huts
185:Ross on Wye
174:mustard gas
95:World War I
81:World War I
41:, England.
703:Categories
673:52°02′17″N
372:References
316:Blackstone
274:(910
257:(910
202:Royal Navy
181:Leominster
134:Credenhill
51:Mary Tudor
45:Background
676:2°41′25″W
368:be seen.
248:Luftwaffe
206:sea mines
59:River Wye
31:Rotherwas
106:and the
340:Present
300:and an
292:, nine
224:During
164:by the
158:Banbury
150:Lyddite
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568:13 May
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509:13 May
450:13 May
272:pounds
255:pounds
154:Amatol
97:, the
22:was a
296:, an
657:2022
589:ISBN
570:2014
557:ISBN
530:ISBN
511:2014
452:2014
245:Nazi
183:and
152:and
302:MBE
298:OBE
168:at
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399:^
276:kg
259:kg
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
