Arthingworth Oil/Gas Depot?
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk
across an interesting site. On the minor road between Kelmarsh and
Arthingworth in Northampton, at approximately OS grid.ref. SP745804.
Cut into the hillside to the north of the road were many entrances into
what looked like underground works. The entrance to the compound
containing this hillside was locked and surrounded by a high fence.
Could this be something to do with the national oil pipeline system?
Regards
Gary
Jeremy Folkes
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk () wrote:
> Out and about in Northamptonshire on Saturday morning I happened to
> come across an interesting site. On the minor road between Kelmarsh and
> Arthingworth in Northampton, at approximately OS grid.ref. SP745804.
:
> Could this be something to do with the national oil pipeline system?
What you saw is most likely a fuel depot on the GPSS - accordingly to
published maps there is a spur off the GPSS main line at Sandy which runs
to Chelveston and on to Kelmarsh. As to why Kelmarsh - no idea.
A tell-tale sign would probably have been some reference on the gate to
SGE or Serco Gulf Engineering, to whom the management of the GPSS is
subcontracted, or failing that pipeline markers showing the line away to
Chelveston. Thankfully (for our safety) the GPSS pipelines are now
fairly well marked on the surface, both with ground markers (like the ones
you get for gas and water) and aerial markers (yellow/black striped "hat"
on a plastic post) used for helicopter surveys.
Suggest you don't go exploring within, as an operational site the
occupants are unlikely to welcome visitors!
Richard Lamont
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk writes:
> Out and about in Northamptonshire on Saturday morning I happened to come
> across an interesting site. On the minor road between Kelmarsh and
> Arthingworth in Northampton, at approximately OS grid.ref. SP745804.
>
> Cut into the hillside to the north of the road were many entrances into
> what looked like underground works. The entrance to the compound
> containing this hillside was locked and surrounded by a high fence.
>
> Could this be something to do with the national oil pipeline system?
There are a number of different oil pipeline systems. The former British
Pipelines Agency (now BPA) runs lines from Stanlow to Gatwick, stopping at
various points on the way. There's a schematic of it at http://www.bpa.co.uk/
Several other petrochemical companies have pipelines in different parts of the
country.
The Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS) is one of those things that
'they' would rather we were discreet about, presumably because it supplies
jet fuel to military airfields. This subject is covered by one of the DA
notices. A connection between BPA and GPSS is mentioned on the BPA web site.
There's also the national gas transmission system too, in case you haven't got
enough pipelines to look for already.
--
Richard Lamont
ric...@stonix.demon.co.uk
http://www.stonix.demon.co.uk/
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk
jfu...@jeremyf.cix.co.uk (Jeremy Folkes) wrote:
> What you saw is most likely a fuel depot on the GPSS - accordingly to
> published maps there is a spur off the GPSS main line at Sandy which
> runs to Chelveston and on to Kelmarsh. As to why Kelmarsh - no idea.
Yes, there was indeed reference to Serco, and the entrances were marked
with yellow paint. Kelmarsh is just off the A14 (M1/A1 link) so probably
convenient in the event of the powers that be needing to get a lot of
vehicles to it.
Cheers
Gary
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk
(Richard Lamont) wrote:
> There's also the national gas transmission system too, in case you
> haven't got
> enough pipelines to look for already.
Thanks Richard,
I'll take a look at the web site. Its amazing anyone can stick a spade in
the ground!
Cheers
Gary
Jeremy Folkes
> Several other petrochemical companies have pipelines in different parts
> of the country.
:
> There's also the national gas transmission system too, in case you
> haven't got enough pipelines to look for already.
And indeed, in addition to the GPSS, the oil companies pipelines, the gas
transmission system, and the petrochemical pipelines (eg ICI has a major
ethylene network in the north), you'll also find Oxygen piped around the
Black Country, and, perhaps more oddly, a pipeline owned by Rugby Cement I
believe running from Kensworth near Dunstable, to Rugby, carrying stuff
for making cement I believe.
There's a lot out there under them there fields......
Jonathan Calder
majik...@cix.compulink.co.uk wrote...
>Kelmarsh is just off the A14 (M1/A1 link) so probably
>convenient in the event of the powers that be needing to get a lot of
>vehicles to it.
The depot was there long before the A14 was built. It is also next to the
old Market Harborough - Northampton railway line, which is now open to
walkers and cyclists.
Jonathan
Andrew Emmerson
> The depot was there long before the A14 was built. It is also next to
> the
> old Market Harborough - Northampton railway line, which is now open to
> walkers and cyclists.
Yes, the depot was built during WW2, no doubt to serve the large number of
airfields nearby. It was rail-connected and the site of the spur line into
the depot is still visible. I could have sworn we have discussed
Arthingworth in this newsgroup before. The site is festooned with
motorway-style street lights and the place first came to my attention
because someone had left all the lights on, making it very conspicuous
from the main road.
david....@ntlworld.com
> Out and about in Northamptonshire on Saturday morning I happened to come
> across an interesting site. On the minor road between Kelmarsh and
> Arthingworth in Northampton, at approximately OS grid.ref. SP745804.
>
> Cut into the hillside to the north of the road were many entrances into
> what looked like underground works. The entrance to the compound
> containing this hillside was locked and surrounded by a high fence.
>
> Could this be something to do with the national oil pipeline system?
>
> Gary