RAF Harpur Hill
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RAF Harpur Hill was once the biggest ammunitions storage depot in the Europe. The depot was opened in 1938 and finally closed in 1960. The Llanberis RAF reserve depot is almost identical in construction to Harpur Hill.
The depot stored gas weapons and V bombs amongst other ordnance and had its own rail network to transport the ammunition and bombs to various parts of the country where it was needed.
The site also homed RAF Bomb disposal teams, in the years just before closure the depot became home to the first RAF Mountain Rescue Units.
RAF Harpur Hill covered over 550 acres and was cut out of limestone. It also has limestone quarries adjacent to the depot which where converted to store aviation fuel.
The geographical location of the site was perfect for its War time role as Buxton is in the Pennines and close to the Dark Peaks. Where extreme weather conditions are frequent. Fog often covers the hill tops making visibility near impossible but this also provided a very affective natural camouflage.
Aster the War operations at Harpur Hill where no longer surplus to requirements and so the depot was slowly closed and transferred.
Adding to its closure was the collapse of its sister depot in Llanberis. Due to structural design flaws Harpur Hill was also showing signs of collapse. Once all the ordnance was removed the depot was sold.
Over the years the depot changed hands with some areas being left completely derelict. During the late 80s one of the underground bunkers was converted into a mushroom farm.
The current owners of the site are the Health and Safety Executive which house the largest testing site of its kind in the country. Sheffield University also have a few small labs on the site.
High Edge Raceway is also located on the site next to the old topside munitions bunkers and aviation fuel depot.
Although the depot has changed owners over the years quite a lot of the original buildings and features still remain as they was left years ago.
Its an interesting site Harpur Hill. Steeped in history and one of the few remaining WWII ammunition dumps left in the country. whilst exploring here we also came across "Avril" a Chieftan Armoured Repair And Recovery Vehicle (CARRV)
VRN No. 07FF45 which was built at ROF Leeds.
