RSAF Enfield current day visit ( photos )

[Mk VII]

The site they preserve now, north of the M25 motorway, is only a part of the once large Waltham Abbey explosives establishment. The bit south of the motorway is completely gone, with a large Sainsbury's distribution warehouse occupying part of the site and the ground level stripped down many feet to remove the contaminated soil. A public park called Gunpowder Park also occupies part of the site. Waltham Abbey began to decline in importance as a manufacturing site in the 1930s, as it was seen to be vulnerable to bombing (and they were counting on the bombers having to come all the way from Germany) so several other factories in the West and Scotland were set up.