In 1918 the Royal Aircraft Establishment was built at Pyestock (nr Farnborough) to develop aircraft engine technology. Sir Frank Whittle established Power Jets Ltd nearby to test and develop gas turbines / jet engines. In 1944 (or 1946 – it changes depending on where you read) it was nationalised and became the National Gas Turbine Establishment. The NGTE was one of the leading centres in the world and played a major role in developing jet engines for many years, including the one used in Concorde.
In the 1990s it became the Defence Research Agency and then the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. The government was reluctant to invest further in the agency and in 2002 it was privatised, with the government creating the company known as Qinetiq. Since privatisation the site has gradually closed down, with only a small portion of the site still being used by Qinetiq and Sigma.
Covering around 108 acres, the site is huge. Tesco want to knock it all down and build a distribution centre. A fantastic piece of Britain’s industrial heritage will be lost.
I’m not going to pretend to know how anything there works or what it does. All I know that there are huge pipes and huge machines. The titles of the buildings are based on a 1956 map, so may not be totally accurate.
Outside
I can’t even begin to describe how huge the place is. You can see the size of some of the buildings and pipes here.
The pictures still don’t really convey the size. Wait till we go into some of the buildings…
Air House
We went through a random door and ended up in this. It is pretty much the largest building on site. There were eight huge generators in here. Being an “air house”, I imagine these generated and pushed the air through the huge pipes on site.
Eight generators – one massive (super-retro) control room.
The guy who worked in one of the offices must’ve been really bored. It was packed with classic early-90′s Amiga games like Worms, Beneath A Steel Sky and Lemmings. And an obligatory nudey calendar.
Between the turbine hall and the offices was a huge corridor with a load of locked doors. One was open though. Inside was a hatch which led down to the insides of one of the huge pipes (you couldn’t actually get into the pipe though). The walls weren’t actually walls, rather some huge air filter elements. So, I assume that every room was used in some sort of air-filtration process.
Cell 3
This was next. The altitude test cell was used to test engines at ultra-low temperatures (as found at high altitudes!)
We had a little investigate underground at the end of the day and ended up in the bowels of the cell. The huge doors look like something out of a crazy sci-fi film.
Control 10
This must be a new addition as it wasn’t on our map. Just one huge generator and mini control room in here.
Cell 4
This one isn’t on the map as well so I don’t know what it is. All I know is that this machine is the largest thing ever. You can see Speed standing on top of it in the second photo. A recent film – Sahara – was filmed in here. There were signs and props lying around.
Plant Compressor House
Another huge building – this one full of compressors and instruments.
There was another retro control room here.
Cubicle C3. There were five cubicles like this along one side of the building. Each contained a raised viewing/control room overlooking the main testing cubicles.
Cubicle A3. There were also three larger cubicles on the opposite side of the building. One of them was an “Isentropic Light Piston Facility”, and the one pictured was a “Ludwig something or other“. I love the wooden control board – it made a change from the light green everywhere else.
The three didn’t run the full length. At one end was the “Cathedral” – a huge testing cubicle, about 6 storeys high!
There were a few offices and meeting rooms too.
Cells 1 & 2
The offices of this section looked like something straight out of Star Trek (the really old episodes).
Battle House
Some combustion tests of some sort went on in here.
There was also large office/drawing room. The Pot Plant is plastic. Hi peugeot people.
Power Station
We made our way to the power station next. There was a beautiful little control room there – I can imagine sitting at the desk all day just watching the controls and pushing buttons. It didn’t look like it had been used since the 70′s, although there was some sugar in a drawer dated 1995.
The main hall in the power station had one huge generator.
By this time the sun was disappearing quickly. We had a little poke around some other little office buildings too, but didn’t really bother getting into them.
We went back to the altitude test cell and had a little look under it. We and found a tunnel. This was about 200-300 metres long and led to the Control Building (sort of under the bulb on the map). It was dark and I didn’t take any photos in there, but there were some modernish desks and controls.
Way out
Quite content with the 9 hours we spent on site we decided to leave. We went a ludicrous route which involved going up and over about 9 huge pipes. After 3 of them we were knackered and saw there was a nice flat walkway going accross them all.
I had time for one final photo. Setting up in the dark was a bad idea. My tripod decided to make me bleed for the third time in the day, and it broke. So I ditched it.
I think that just about shows what we saw – we were there for nine hours and still didn’t see everything.
Update
Since writing this entry, probably the most detailed NGTE website ever has been launched. And it’s still a work in progress. Check it out…
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Very cool.
It is amazing that this stuff is just sitting there like a time capsule.
good photos my dad has some good memorys of pystock or ngte
DID MY APPRENTISHIP THERE STARTING 1960 MY FATHER WORKED WITH SIR FRANK WHITTLE AND WAS IN CHARGE OF THE CELLS
My father William F Lewis worked at NGTE 1963 until his retirement in 1981.Grade 2 eng worked on TSR2 & Concorde.He was secretary of social club too & my sister & I performed with NGTE Globe players.I still have a few photos. Will send link to him. There are more pics on http://www.industrialbritain.co.uk
Brings back very old memories.
My Father who passed away in the 1980′s work at NGTE-Pystock as The Deputy Director.
I remember there was a great snooker room and also many bowling greens.
A very sad sight to see.
I flunked A levels, drove past NGTE Nov 1975, wrote asking for a job and 2mths later I was in Engineering Heaven there.Left in 1977 to go to Uni.
I had a fantastic time at Pyestock – a 19 yr old playing with huge machines, what fun! We did loads of good projects – curing flameout on the RB199 Tornado engine, birdstrike protection on Westland Whirlwind, and compressors which ultimately led to turbo-powered cars.. For those technically minded I was involved in the programming of the Uk’s first 5 axis CNC machine there.
Next time u sit in a 747, remember the compressor disk design of the RB211 came from Pyestock, The disk cross section was inspired by Helen Bloor’s ( a secretary there) posterior. Lovely lady and a great engine!
The people I worked with were the very best – Dr David Smith, Norman Waldron, Alex Johnstone, Dr Peter Came, Mike Bloor and Johnny Summers.. From the Admin Block I watched Paras falling to their death and a Meteor crash at Farnborough..
Such a shame it’s going to waste!
So sod trespassing, reckon it’s worth it for a commando recce and bonfire in the woods by the library. Anyone up for it? The original site pass looked like an Embasy fag packet and many times I had one on my dashboard, so that’s how we can justify our presence
BTW it used to be a golf course, hence the main road being the Fairway. The Cathedral was acoustically perfectly quiet – and a great place for lunchtime liaisons….
)
My late husband worked at NGTE from about 1954 until he retired as a SSO in 1984.He was responsible for the design,specification and commissioning of a Jet Noise Laboratory among other research but sadly Rheumatoid Arthritis shortened his career.
However I may be 80yrs old but finding these sites,by chance on the internet, brought back very happy memories of NGTE and the open days and some sadnes that it is no more.
Hi there. What a fabulous page on an incredible site. I used to work here a few years ago (for an assosiated engine testing company) I am homw from the middle east soon and would love to go back there. if you would be interested in an expenses paid return to the site. PLEASE PLEASE get in touch. I looked around briefly while i worked on the site but on ones own there is only so much you can do. I will fill you in on the details if you contact me…. Paul
TO PETER STAPLETON. my email is pdavidson84@hotmail.com please get in touch if you fancy that reccy. For the benefit of others on the site reading this request for comany on another recce I believe in damaging nothing and removing nothing, just an opportunity to take the last pictures of a site that is dear to my heart as an gas turbine test engineer who used to work on the site.
Came across this site by chance as wanted to search for deserted technical establishments (as you do). Fabulous to think of the pipe-smoking tweed jacketed engineers and scientists milling around here during the years it operated, and just a little bit scary imagining the noise generated by all this machinery when in operation. Shame most of this work is probably conducted on a boring computer these days. There is a dedicated site to this place although not many interior pics at the mo.
I worked as a fitter in Battle House late ,73 / early’74before moving to a conveyor company in Camberley. At that time there were two Admiralty three-drum Yarrow boilers in Battle house ‘A’ and ‘B’, and a third five-drum controlled-superheat boiler ‘C’. Steam was supplied to both the ‘Air House’ and the Beliss turbine in what was then also called the ‘Admiralty Test House’ across the road. (also to a Brush high-speed test turbine in an annex alongside Battle House) Shortly before I left another boiler was being built up towards the Air House – ‘D’ boiler(?) but I left before it was put into use. I remember periods of intense activity – especially if there was a breakdown such as changing the superheater elements on ‘B’ boiler and getting the ‘Melesco’ spherical ends steamtight followed by long periods of standing by waiting for ‘something to go wrong’ – a regular fill-in job was nursing the Weir steam pumps feeding the boilers with fuel oil – near tar-like ‘Bunker C’ – lighter oil was used on occasion to light up with. Another pet problem was with the Weir turbine feedwater pumps – nip the glands up too tight and they would overheat or leave them a bit slack and they would spray water all over the place.. Happy days! Two engineers I do remember – gentlemen – were Ron Jesse and Wally Westerman.
I worked in General Admin & Purchasing in the Main Office Block from 1980 to 1985 as Admin Assistant. Worked with Ray Herrington, John Whitefoot, Pat Wilson amongst others. Remember Fred Powers and Sid Hawkins in Stores. A fun place to work with a fantastic family feel to the place.
I was one of the very lucky people to obtain an Engineering Apprenticeship at NGTE. Starting in September 1981. I remember at the age of 16 being escorted round the vast site in an MOD Coach with my parents “mouth wide open at the sheer size of the place”. The skill set was imense with Marine, Electronic/Electrical/Mechanical/Aeronautical Engineers supporting a framework of key specialised Scientists and Research and Development teams.
There were large teams of Craftsmen/Fitters and a semi skilled workforce all keeping the place ticking.
The Apprenticeship scheme in 1981 had 22 places of various skill sets and was oversubscribed by over 900 school applicants all wishing to have an opportunity of Training at the site. I understand this was the case every year and we considered ourselves very lucky to get through the interview stages and were constanlty reminded of that fact too.
We were nicknamed Troggs and had issued RAF Grey overals, the name Trogg was coined from the lapel names located on the overals that read”APP TRG followed by the name of the apprentice.” The first year of training was undertaken at the “so called old site” the original site in an apprentice training workshop that was the original workshops used by Sir Frank Whittle and his team. The remains of the long since demolished test cells and the adjacent test bed “Flying Bedstead” sat along side. The training was hard and demanding and in line with most apprenticeships we spent alot of time in the first few weeks filing pieces of metal to within a few thousands of an inch to make our tool kits for when we went on site the second year.
By the age of 17 as an Electrical Apprentice I had made all the basic tools that were required in our day to day job such as Multimeters, Insulation testers, screwdrivers and so on including the enclosures for the test equipment out of sheet metal.
We were constantly tested and by the second year we were set loose on the main site spending several months in each department from the air house to the test cells. All apprentices were expected to know a significant amount of every aspect of the facility and how it functioned.
By the last year we were set a project to manage in line with our skill set and we had to as a team plan, procure from on site stores and follow detailed drawings to install a new test rig or similar project. The process was overseen by an Apprentice Master and Senior Engineers the standard required was very high.
I loved working there and remember being so pleased to be a small part of such an amazing place. I left in the late eighties to further enhance my career and always intended returning to work there in my later years, “you never realise things are not permanent in your early twenties”.
As for the closure I believe it was more about money than maturity of technology as I heard Rolls Royce still test engines and have to bid for test time at a similar facility in the USA.
Still it was good whilst it lasted.
There are millions of stories to be told about Pyestock by thousands of people who worked there lets hope they are not forgotten.
Like Peter I was very luck to have 11 years at Pyestock including my apprenticeship there. A great place to work, good mates, excellent skills and great memories. Just found this site and could not believe how sad the place looks, every photos brought back memories of people who worked there.
Those were the days when you could be proud of something.
Names of a few: Sam Holt, Wally Waterfield, Brian Hatto, Ron Trethewey, Sid Forster, Reg Rose, Roy Peters.
I was a student apprentice (living at the RAE hostel) from 1962-4.
I worked on parts of the supersonic wind tunnel.
I didn’t get on with my supervisors and left in 1964, and qualified later as an industrial designer.
I value my engineering experience there very highly (at least).
It really WAS a different era!
Just like everyone,i too have great memories of the time spent at Pyestock from 1972 to 1988,i nearly shed a tear when the hostal was demolished too.I was a sheetmetal worker in the main workshop working with great people Bert Borret,Roy Peters,Sid Forster and good old Earnie Hurdle and lots lots more.Real good times.
I reckon I know “Peter PTO Design Offices” – riding his F1SE down the Fleet Road after work like the clappers… I was one of the groups of new Mechanical and Electrical Apprentices who started their careers in September 1981. I recall Brian Hatto – Manager of the Appreciate Department on the Old Site, Don Main, Wally Waterfield and Alan Pocock – the 1 st Year Apprentice Masters. And, at the back of the Workshops, 2nd Year Apprentice Masters Norman Patience and Keith Cross.
I spent my time in the 1st & 2nd Year Workshops before going straight over to RAE (33 Dept workshops), before returning to the Main Workshops in the Machine Department until 1986. So, the photos, whist bring back some memoires, are lost on e personally. However, I intend to send this site to another old NGTE Electrical Apprentice, who crawled all over the cells in this time on site.
After moving to Oz in 1988, time and memories have got the better of me. If anyone in the 1981 – 1985 era reads this, leave a contact address. It would be great to catch up.
JB
I reckon I know “Peter PTO Design Offices” – riding his F1SE down the Fleet Road after work like the clappers… I was one of the groups of new Mechanical and Electrical Apprentices who started their careers in September 1981. I recall Brian Hatto – Manager of the Appreciate Department on the Old Site, Don Main, Wally Waterfield and Alan Pocock – the 1 st Year Apprentice Masters. And, at the back of the Workshops, 2nd Year Apprentice Masters Norman Patience and Keith Cross.
I spent my time in the 1st & 2nd Year Workshops before going straight over to RAE (33 Dept workshops), before returning to the Main Workshops in the Machine Department until 1986. So, the photos, whist bring back some memoires, are lost on e personally. However, I intend to send this site to another old NGTE Electrical Apprentice, who crawled all over the cells in this time on site.
After moving to Oz in 1988, time and memories have got the better of me. If anyone in the 1981 – 1985 era reads this, leave a contact address. It would be great to catch up.
JB
I reckon I know “Peter PTO Design Offices” – riding his F1SE down the Fleet Road after work like the clappers… I was one of the groups of new Mechanical and Electrical Apprentices who started their careers in September 1981. I recall Brian Hatto – Manager of the Apprentice Department on the Old Site, Don Main, Wally Waterfield and Alan Pocock – the 1 st Year Apprentice Masters. And, at the back of the Workshops, Norman Patience and Keith Cross.
I spent my time in the 1st & 2nd Year Workshops before going straight over to RAE (33 Dept workshops), before returning to the Main Workshops in the Machine Department. So, the photos, whist bring back some memoires, are lost on e personally. However, I intend to send this site to another old NGTE Electrical Apprentice, who crawled all over the cells in this time on site.
After moving to Oz in 1988, time and memories have got the better of me. If anyone in the 1981 – 1985 era reads this, leave a contact address. It would be great to catch up.
JB
Started my aprenticeship here in Sept 1980,and well remember some of the names mentioned.Still use some of the tools I made today and definitely the skills.I live in Cape Town South Africa these days but was back in the U K in June and went to have alook at NGTE couldnt believe it,all run down and broken!!
I had the privilege of being a member of the Ram Jet test team,1951-1955, while in the RAF and seconded to NGTE. I have found myself almost over whelmed by nostalgia as I read about all hat has happend . It was a wonderful experience for me that resulted in my exchange tour at Wright Air Development Center, Dayton.Ohio. What great people led by Mr Probert !