Newton Hollow 'Orange Yeoman' Radar.
 

The above named site is about 2 miles from the Frodsham AAOR bunker. The 'Orange Yeoman' code name applied tot he prototype of the AMES Type 82 Radar that was orignally intended for the control of AA guns. The site at Frodsham was chosen to trial the prototype due to the local geography being ideally suited. Sadly, by the time the trial was concluded, AA guns had been deemed unnecassary, so the Radar was used for targeting and guidance of the BLOODHOUND Sam system. It later came to be used as an ATC radar and was still being regularly used in this capacity into the mid 1990's. The last operational system being at Lindholme, Yorks.

The site at Newton Hollow still retains most of the original buildings including the Radar Head (building that rotating aerial sat on) and the operations block about 500 yds away.

With permission of the owner we were allowed access to the site for a look around. He knew very little about the site and was more than happy to learn some of it's history.

Thanks to my friend Andy for the photo's.

1. Inside the Radar head building. Re-inforced two foot thick concrete walls and ceiling. The new ceiling covers the gap where the turning gear and cabling ran up to the aerial.

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Original blast doors into the Head building.
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External view of concrete outer blast wall. This would originally have been the outside of the building, but has been covered by an extension put in place by the owner. He has attempted to remove the blast wall using a JCB powered hammer drill but gave up after a couple of days as the concrete is that thick and well reinforced!

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Front view of old Ops Block. Ground floor is now used at Chicken hatchery and processing plant, upper floor has remained largely unaltered.
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Former Ops room on Upper floor, some minor alterations were done but is largely unused.
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Ventilation Plant room at rear of ops room, note the very large vent duct. Apparantly on front of the pipe was a large fan. Can also see the concrete plinth on floor for pumping gear.

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Tempp gauage attached to ducting, reads in Fahrenheit.

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Better view of Ventialtion room showing pump plinth.

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This room next to the plant room, was labelled Emergency exit, and opens onto the Ops Room. Note the stairway on the right which is blocked at the bottom.

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Cable trunking under the floor of the ops room. The room still has original 1950's linoleum on the floor!

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Under floor void on ground floor. Filled with rubble, but estimates to be about 5-6 feet deep. Apparently inside it there is ducting with cables leading out of the building, destinataion unknown but presumed up to the Bunker at Frodsham.

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Generator room/hut at rear of ops room. Contains original and still working Generator, manufactured by English Electric Co.

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The Generator.

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Manufactures plate on side of Generator Diesle Engie Block.

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Cable and trunking leading from Generator to who knwos where?

Cable is about 3" thick.

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I hope you find the above pics of interest. As far as I am aware this is an unexplored site, even Sub Brit only has external shots of the site.

My thanks to the for allowing us access.

I have some other photo's on my phone and will add them when I can download them.

Have all your shots been taken with a phone?

Not the best of photos but better to have it documented than not!
Thanks very much for posting.

Sadly yes, all done on a blackberry. My camera is not working.

Better than no photos at all

A few more pictures of the site.

Hand cranked 1950's field telephone n the redar head building.

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Blast wall on former outside of rader headr building.

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Original light swirch. (Not working)

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Right hand side of Ops room, shows access door to Display boards (since removed). The clear perspex displays would be mounted on platform, behind which, operators would use chingraph pencils to update information. One of the skills they need to learn was to be able to write backwards1

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Former outer wall of Head building, note peeled away cladding.

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THANKS so much for posting this My mother grew up in the houses opposite the site and I am still searching for a picture of the radar head. This is the first time I have seen the inside of this building even though I live down the road from it. Am I correct in thinking that the large hatchery is actually original ?

Well informed.

Efiste, the hatchery building is the original 'Data Handlng Building'. The groound floor has been modified for the hatchery, but as you can see, the upper floor is largely unchanged. They have no use for it so it's moore of an occasinal store. They have made some minor alterations on the lower floor to accoomodate the business side. The Radar Head building is almost completely coverd by extensions to it to accomodate the Agricultural engineering business. I am trying to find some of the original photo's of the site when it was working.

Excellent Info and again THANKS for sharing it......Knowing a lot of local people in the area, Its not generally known what the whole AAOR/Orange Yeoman story is, Many locals believe it was a wartime construction. And even less people are aware of the NORLEY Gunsite just a couple of miles away.

The best of luck I would love to see pics of the site, Its a shame my mother doesnt know of any family pics with the Radar in the background even. And she grew up less than 300 yards away from the thing.