The site was taken over by the British Explosives Syndicate and building started in 1888, or 1891. This was the start of a long history of explosives for the ‘Pitsea Factory’ as it was taken over by Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, in 1920.
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​Blast mounds cover a lot of the park and much has been done to clear the trees and plant life that hid many of them. Information boards have also been erected to show where different sites were and what each one was responsible for.
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Wat Tyler Country Park is the current home to three listed buildings.
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Little Coopers Cottage is thought to have been built in the 15th Century this agricultural workers' cottage, the only type of it's kind in Essex, was moved from Takeley when the site it stood on was bought for development during 1980. That site is now Stansted Airport.
The chimney stack is thought to have been added around 1600 and then rebuilt 200 years later.
This, and the other listed buildings, now stands in the parks 'Village Green' near the park offices.
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Blunts Cottage is a 16th century cottage that also stood in Coopers End, Takeley, the site which became Stansted Airport.
The chimneys were added in the late 1500's and 1600's respectively. The sign next to this cottage states that these cottages were sold to Basildon Council by BAA for 50p, allowing the cottages to be preserved for the future.
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Holly Cottage is thought to have been built around 1670 Holly Cottage takes its name from the holly trees that stood by the front door. These were once believed to ward off evil spirits.
The small building was given to the council after the thatched roof was destroyed in a fire whilst it still stood on it's original site in Hockley Road, Rayleigh.
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Also in the 'village green' with the three listed cottages is a barn.
This barn once stood in Chapel Street, Billericay opposite the site of the old cinema, which I'm told was opposite the Coach and Horses.
The information board outside this barn informed us that it was built around 400 years ago. It was moved to the park and fully restored after it was the subject of an arson attack in the late 1990's
Guided tours of the barn and the listed buildings can arranged by calling the parks education team.
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Once you pass through the gates in to the park and follow the road round you come to the site entrance.
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The white bungalows on the left side of the road were once inspection huts. As the workers entered the park they would be searched for any object that may be used, or cause a spark that could lead to an explosion.
Opposite these buildings are the former Supervisor's House and Guard House. These are now private residence for a few lucky people that get to call the park their home.
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This small building is now home to some businesses, an explosion destroyed the the left side of the building.
These sit next to the car park outside the Green Centre. Next to the centre is the small 'Wat Tyler Lake', used by Basildon Model Boating Club.
There is also the miniature railway station by the car park. This is the second largest of its kind in the country and runs from the main entrance, via the green centre, and up to the marina.
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​Half way between the Green Centre and the marina, near the listed cottages, are the park offices. This building was used by Nobel Explosives Company as their site offices.
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This stood next to the Cordite Range which housed the equipment which shaped the dynamite in to the familiar tubular shape to make sticks or charges for gun shells.
Not far from here are some large blast mounds. These appear to have been used in very dangerous work requiring a second line of mounds. It is thought that acids were used in these buildings, possible mixed with the explosives.
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The highest point of the factory site was where the 'Nitrating House' with their flushing tanks were located. This is the area with the small section of tunnel I remembered.
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As you walk in to the park you come to a cross roads. You could turn left and walk along to the pillbox viewing platform, go straight ahead towards the creek or turn right and walk further in to the park. It was to the right that the short piece of tunnel stood.
On the left, just beyond the tree line, is a blast mound. You were once able to walk up the outside of this and from the top see the tunnel entrance as well as the roof of the concrete structure. This area has now over grown.
Further down there is the information board for the Nitrating House which stands next to a small entrance in to the bushes.
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Down by Timberman's Creek is a number of blast mounds which enclosed the 'magazines' which held the explosives.
These were designed in a way that would allow an explosion to go straight up, rather than out. This protected the magazines around the area from also being ignited.
The blast mounds are quite visible. A large section of this area has been cleared and is now fenced off. This will help attract new plantlife in to the area, and hopefully many different species of insects and other animals.
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Following the path back round towards the Green Centre we found two more information boards which identified the sites of a man-made pond, the laboratory magazine and, further along, the Expense Magazine.
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This pond was used to contain the run off from water that was used to wash guncotton. The information board explained that cotton waste was mixed with nytroglycerine to make a powerful, and unstable, explosive. By washing this the substance became safer to handle.
Once a week someone had to throw a lit charge in to the pond, causing an explosion, to clear the excess nytroglycerine that lingered in the water.
A bit further along is the 'Expense Magazine. This was used to store the explosives that had been made during the day but had not been finished. The process would then be completed the following day.
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