Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Royal Ordnance Factory Hooton

This site has a number of names

Royal Ordnance Factory Hooton
ROF Hooton
ROF Willaston
ROF No 10
ROFTEN

Some of the original large buildings are still in existance and are being used by various businesses. ROF Hooton was a temporary factort set up for WW2, after the was it was handed over to Williams & Williams as part of the policy of disposal of temporary ROF sites. The site is approximately 30 acres (pretty big).

Many of the main site buildings are alive and well and are in use by various businesses as part of the ROFTEN industrial estate. I was looking in the surrounding woodland hoping to find something of interest. I already knew there were three pill boxes near to the site.

Part of the site is being used by a rubble recycling company which blocks off some views, another part of the site has been used as an off-road 4X4 track and also apparently (by the thousands of cartridges) as a twelve bore shooting site. There are loads of rabbits in the vicinity.

The site is right next door to Hooton station and even the car dealers on Hooton road are using some of the ROF buildings.

What did I find, I found two destroyed pill boxes on-site, 3 intact pill boxes on the wirral way (which goes round the east and south sides of the site) and also one derelict building.

Pictures to follow ....

Here are some pictures of the main buildings, most of which are in use by businesses.

Note the main factory has the railway going through the building.

Here are the first two on-site pill boxes - deperately trying to remember if there were three actually - maybe - but only photos for two.

The second one had a double culvert next to it which may have been a brdige, hence the pillbox

The first pillbox I found by the wirral-way, this is in very good condition and has/had an interesting layout (though one internal wall has been removed).

Next pillbox by Wirral Way - this one was a lot harder to spot.

Last pill box, this is on-site but by Wirral way, I didn't see it the first time I went past, even though I had been about 15ft from it (as a preverbial bat!).

There was this one (non-pillbox) building that was hidden in the trees, this is derelict but was in use in the 1970s. This may look remarkably to a building that 28daylater (28dl) described as a childrens home??????
28dl Kids Home???

Doesn't look like any children's home to me!!!

That's the last of the pictures (thank god they say), this ROF site, like RAF West Kirby has been well cleansed, even in 1970 there were quite a few buildings in the woodland that have now gone. Had a good day looking though - if you don't look, you won't find.

Very good DD. At the beginning of the thread you mentioned the site was handed over to Williams & Williams for cleaning up. Do you know anything on that firm Williams & Williams, during WW2 my mother worked for that company making Jerry cans, apparently she gained welding skills. As far as i know it was in Chester.

wow you have been busy

Good work dd. Presume you spotted the somewhat bizarre/Darlek looking Fire Watcher's shelter in your 5th photo down. It's on the gantry behind the 2 long black buildings.

There were 2 of these on that gantry. They are "Consol" Shelters. Made for firewatching duties. Made of thick mild steel plate with an access door. Few of these survive.

I've some close-up prints of these together with a war time advert for them. At Chris's next weekend, so hopefully he can scan the info. and post same. Watch this space !

Pinz - I meant to take a picture of that "bell" when I did my second pass. I've blown it up from the hi-res piccy here. Can you give some more information on this - was it for the fire lookout to hide in if he found himself doing a Guy Fawkes?

Yes, that's right. It was a measure of protection from shrapnel and other bits of flying joy and delight during an air raid.

I think the main duty of the Firewatcher was to spot any incendiary bombs that fell onto the roof and then tackle any blaze before it got out of hand.

You can just make out the lifting eye on top. Must have been craned up. I shudder to think how much they weigh. Saw an old one being used as a shelter for the shotfirer in a N.Wales quarry. From memory, the steel was at least half an inch thick !

What a great garden shed !!!

Williams & Williams main business was making metal window frames, the Hooton site made standard sized frames for the building industry, the Chester site made Aluminium Curtain Walling. They took over the Hooton site on 21st April 1945.

Loving the urban exploration DD. Some good sh**in specs too!