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Great, great news from our friends at Barnton Quarry. They’ve had their site Grade A listed, richly deserved and shows the uniqueness of the bunker and how their hard work of the last decade has paid off!![]()
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PRESS RELEASE: The former RAF Caledonian Sector Operations Centre at Barnton Quarry was today awarded Category-A listed building status by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). ![]()
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Category-A listed building status is awarded to buildings of special architectural or historical interest which are outstanding examples of a particular period, style or building type.![]()
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Recognising both the national historical and architectural importance of the site, the listing elevates the former military command centre at Barnton Quarry alongside other rare and notable historic buildings such as Edinburgh Castle and the Forth Bridge.![]()
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HES note in their listing report: “The R4 ROTOR bunker is an extremely rare example of an early Cold War ROTOR radar headquarters and is the only example where the original layout is visible.![]()
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The buildings are a well-preserved physical reminder of two of the major global periods of conflict that helped define the 20th century (being World War II and the Cold War), and in both cases many of their contemporary related structures have been either heavily altered or demolished, further adding to the significance of these surviving examples.”![]()
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Philp Robertson, Deputy Head of Designations at Historic Environment Scotland (HES) said: ![]()
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“We are delighted to list the Cold War Rotor Radar System bunker in Barnton. This follows the nomination of the site by The Barnton Quarry Restoration Project, a community group involved in restoring the building as a unique piece of cold war history in the heart of Edinburgh.![]()
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Working with community groups and listening to their ambitions to protect and engage with their local historic environment is a priority for HES. Listing at Category A recognises the special architectural and historic interest of this building. As one of only four purpose-built radar system headquarters of its type in the UK, the Barnton building is a very rare survival from the Cold War.”![]()
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Listing doesn’t mean that a structure has to stay the same forever or remain in its original use. Rather, it means that there is a special interest that should be taken into account in the planning process.”![]()
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Grant More, Barnton Quarry Restoration Team said:![]()
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“We are delighted to receive this award from Historic Environment Scotland, a fantastic acknowledgement of how unique the Barnton Quarry site is and a reminder of its national importance in terms of historical and architectural interest.![]()
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Our team of dedicated volunteers has been working hard on behalf of the public for the past ten years to painstakingly restore the buildings. We’re deeply passionate about safeguarding our Cold War history and this award will help us to accelerate the realisation of our vision of opening the site at Barnton Quarry as a museum and education centre.”![]()
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Further details of the listing are available here: portal.historicenvironment.scot/designation/LB52578
portal.historicenvironment.scot
Former RAF Turnhouse Sector Operations Command centre and R4 ROTOR Sector Operations Centre, excluding ancillary building to south, Barnton Quarry, Edinburgh (LB52578)
Amazing and downright frightening work from the researchers at Bellingcat:![]()
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www.bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/28/us-soldiers-expose-nuclear-weapons-secrets-via-flashcard-apps/...
US Soldiers Expose Nuclear Weapons Secrets Via Flashcard Apps - bellingcat
www.bellingcat.com
Online study aids used by US soldiers contained detailed information about base security and the location of nuclear devices in Europe.
We'd obviously prefer if it was underground, but we can never say no to Tunnocks...
This is an excellent programme from Radio4 about BRIXMIS, right on and indeed over the front line of the Cold War. Stories from the sharp end!
BBC Radio 4 Extra - The Brixmis Story
www.bbc.co.uk
The Brixmis officer spies in uniform were the unsung heroes of the Cold War.