WWII Chain Home Low Radar Station, Kessingland Suffolk. Dec 2020.
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- Опубліковано 17 лют 2021
- #WW2 #Suffolk #MilitaryHistory #RadarStation
Kessingland CHL Radar site.
The British had realised the need for methods of detecting aircraft in the event of war and in the mid thirties, research was undertaken and developed on the use of 'Radio Direction Finding', or RDF. A prototype RDF system was built at Bawdsey (called Chain Home or CH) in 1937, and further development led to a 'beamed radar' (called Chain Home Low or CHL). This was capableof detectinglow flyingaircraft. Pakefield was one of the CHL sites operational during the war and was in use from 1940 to the end of 1941.
Toady the remaining buildings are perilously close to the cliff edge. The site was also used as a Cold War Royal Observer Corps post, which still remains although flooded and in a very dilapidated state.
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All the best Em and Stu 😊
A great deal of thought and background work went into this production. Content, narration, music, photography and illustrations are all superb. Another very well done Em & Stu
Thank you so much, we tried really hard to make this one as professional as we could, we only use a mobile app to edit our videos so it can be quite challenging at times lol. Thanks for your lovely comment, we really appreciate it 😊
Excellent video! I grew up in the Lowestoft area in the 1950s and old military concrete buildings were everywhere along the coastline, as early as the mid 1950s many looked pretty dilapidated and some were falling down the crumbling sand cliffs.
Yes like u say unfortunately we've lost so much of our military history along the east coast over the years so its important to document them while we still can. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 👍😊
What can I say but...
Fantastic guys
Thank you so much! 😊
Very interesting guys. Shame about the coastal erosion in that part of the world. Another couple of years it will just be a pile of bricks and concrete there. Thanks again Em and Stu for showing before its gone for good 👍👍
You're welcome Derek, we really wanted to return again to this one as we know it won't be there much longer.. hope we did it justice and documented it well for future records.. Thanks for watching and commenting, always appreciated 😊
Nice explore and thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching and commenting, glad you enjoyed it 😊
Remember climbing down the ladder into there in early 80's as a teenager, it was in the middle of farmers fields. Shame this is on cliff edge set to go anytime soon. Great vid btw
I cant even imagine it now in the middle of a field.. like u say such a shame its going to fall in the very near future. 😔 Thanks for watching 👍
I really appreciate the history information of these places. It's amazing how much the land erodes back from the sea. This video is brilliant! Thank you!
Aww thank you so much, alot of work when into this one so glad you enjoyed it 😊👍
Keep up the good work recording these sites before they disappear
Thank Frank, its certainly a passion of ours to capture these places before they are lost forever, thanks for watching and commenting 😊👍
Trop belle video 💕👍
REALY ENJOY YOUR VIDEOS ON YOUR SITE
.MUST VISIT THIS RADAR BEFORE IT FALLS INTO THE SEA.WE ONLY 10 MILES DOWN ROAD IN A HOLIDAY HOME FROM THIS,DONT DO VIDEOS ,BUT INTO PHOTOGRAPHING DESELET BUILDINGS,THANK YOU BOTH
Yes its definitely worth a visit like you say before it is finally lost which could be any time from now with how bad the weather has been recently 😔 Thanks for watching and for your lovely comment, hope you manage to get a look at it in time 👍😊
Excellent!!! Thank you!!!
Thank you very much Philip 😊
A piece of history recorded. Thanks for sharing, much appreciated, as I know how much work goes into filming, editing etc.
Thank you, yes there's not many people who realise just how much time and effort goes into making even just a short video like this one, the editing was a right pain if I'm honest lol. Thank you very much for watching and we appreciate your comment 👍😊
Great place, great video.
Thanks Ray yes there's no too many of these left now and unfortunately I don't think this one will be here for much longer either 😔 Thanks for watching and commenting, always appreciated 👍
Great video guys hopefully it wont disapear anytime soon.Very informative nice share 👍
Thanks for watching, with any luck it will still be there for a few years as yet, fingers crossed 🤞😊
Good explore, well presented
Thank you very much, we appreciate you watching 👍🙂
Hi guys, great video - war time relics slowing being lost to the sea. A few more winters and this building may not be safe to enter at all - looks like you made it just in time - thanks for sharing 😊
Sadly I expect you are right, we came here a couple of years ago and really wanted to return again to make a better video before it was completely lost.. so sad that we are slowly loosing so much of our military history.. Thanks for watching 👍🙂
This is awesome ! The filming the content editing music it’s so professional and Your voice is very well suited to a documentary type narration.
Very informative ! don’t know how long it took to put together but seriously well done fantastic job keep making theses they are great !
Thanks for such a lovely message, almost no one who actually knows me bothers to watch these, its like a secret little hobby I have lol. Nice that u took that time to have a look.. We love exploring any structures to do with the wars and have been to quite a few now but plenty more still to come.. and the answer to your question is 3 to 4 solid days of editing.. probably far longer than it should have! 😁
Thanks for sharing as always cheers
Thanks we appreciate you taking the time to watch 😊👍
I've always wondered what that site is like! thanks for sharing
No problem Vicki glad u found it interesting, thanks for watching 😊
Another great video! Glad that you all got to visit this place, looks like it may slide down the hill in a few years if nothing is done to protect the soil/location.. keep up the great work
Thanks Scott, yes unfortunately I don't think they'll be doing too much any time soon to stop the erosion, not before its too late for this building anyway 😔 We appreciate you watching and for your lovely comment 👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu I guess one good outcome would be when the building slides over the hill, it will protect the rest of the hill LOL..
Coastal erosion is such a massive problem and I remember a hotel falling into the ocean near Whitby a few years back, unbelievable and so sad to see. Nice bit of history and drone footage, which really gives you a real time perspective on how precarious the Radar Station is. It's a shame the Germans could not stop it but looks like the sea will soon, cheers Alan
Yes I think you might be right there Alan, it won't be long before it crashes onto the beach below 😔 We i live in Norfolk we've had an awful time with erosion over the last few years with a colossal amount of land and homes being lost to the sea.. Its so sad that not more is being done to stop it but I guess its mother nature.. Thanks for watching 😊 👍
A lovely little video well done 👍❤️
Thank you very much, we appreciate you taking the time to watch 😊👍
Loved the vid Em and Stu very well done.
Thanks for watching Chris, glad you liked it 👍😊
Hi em and stu love watching.
We are very pleased to hear thank you 😊
No probs I keep watching.
Thank you 😊
in 1977 i visited the one in sheppy it was at 45 degrees sliding down the cliff ,it was great fun ,its now on the beach in two
Yes I know the one you are talking about in Sheppy, shame so many of these are slowly being destroyed, would quite like to take a look at it when we can.. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊
Really interesting and well put together video. I only live down the road in Carlton Colville, and played in these as a child. I wonder if they will seal the ROC post and other buildings off soon due to the danger of collapse. The cliffs have recently really been receding these pa'st few years 😔 thanks for sharing, keep up the good work 👍
We were just saying this recently that before long they will be deemed too dangerous and be sealed off from the public which is why we knew we had to get down there quick to get it documented.. From what I've heard this area was littered with war buildings once, shame alot have now gone, we'd have love to have got the chance to visit the nearby gun battery but I believe that was lost many years ago.. Thanks for watching and commenting 😊 👍
Your editing is impeccable! As a young Suffolk local, I really enjoy these factual but fun videos! Keep it up guys :)
Thank you so much for your lovely comment, we really tried hard with this one so its great that people have enjoyed watching. Plenty more to come in the future hopefully when lovkdown is over 😊
Yet another beautiful informative video.
Seriously love your videos guys!!
Hope you are both safe and well
ATB
Paul 👍
Thank you so much Paul for your lovely comment, alot of work went into editing this one so we are really glad people like it. Thanks for watching 😊
holly fork didn't realise how bad its off the edge of the cliff. I was in this the other month :O
Yeah it had gotten a bit worse since our last visit too, this was filmed a couple of months ago and with all the bad weather we've had over the last few weeks I'd hate to think of the damage its caused. Thanks for taking the time to watch and comment 👍😊
Love the style of video for this !! Such a shame it will be lost to sea soon
So many of these places have been lost to the sea and like you say this one will probably follow them soon.. 😔 We were trying something abit different with this video to see if it worked but the editing turned out to be a right pain in the backside so don't think we'll be making too much of a habit of doing it this way again lol. Cheers for watching 👍😊
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu well for the viewer exspierence it was really good !!
Thats good to know then.. sometimes I spend so much time on a video that by the time I've finished I cant even tell if its any good or not! Saying that it was 3am this morning 😆
Good morning Em Stu seems like one is going to soon be in the water what a shame loving the video very well presented love the drone footage someone has mastered that now lol take care u guys and thanks.
Thanks Rob, yes Stu is so much more confident than I am with the drone but I've promised myself to practise more with it this year lol. You're right it doesn't look like this place will be sat here for much longer unfortunately 😞 Thanks for watching as always 😊👍
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu Well that's nice I am glad you will soon be using the drone Em lol you know I love your vids they really make my day as always take care u guys stay safe.
Well all the videos we've released so far this year were recorded before the lockdown but if it carries on too much longer then we'll run out so will have to start doing little local videos by ourselves as u probably know me and Stu live over 70 miles apart so haven't seen each other since Xmas! And as I have the drone at mine atm I'm going to have to use it myself! 🙈
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu That's a long time not to see each other to be honest I did enjoy your little home vids. That is a long way I pray this lockdown ends soon and things get bk to some sort of normal chin up Em its not forever.
@@robertfreeman2608 Thanks Rob, things will get better 😊
Why have I never seen these before? I guess it's been twenty years since I've been though strangely I'm going tomorrow.
Definitely go see it...it won't be there for much longer ☹️
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu Is it the Pakefield end ?
Yes there is an roc right next to it 🙂
Very good video and well researched
one point--
CHL and CHEL radars weren't mounted on the roof but were on a gantry like that shown in the pic,either to one side of the ops block or astride it with two legs of the gantry on either side.Some also had a much taller 200ft tower see--www.radarpages.co.uk/mob/chl/chl1.htm
Thanks Mark, I actually knew almost nothing about the whole radar use during ww2 before making this video so had to spend many an hour trying to get my head around it all lol. There's only a small amount of information available about this particular CHL station but from what I've read in local ww2 books I believe the radar was likely to have been similar to the one at Swansea bay in Wales (I'll insert a link to a photo) the remains of some sort of buttress on the roof do appear to support this idea.. I would love to know for sure but like I said info seems to be scares on this one.. 😊
www.subbrit.org.uk/sites/margam-chain-home-low-radar-station/
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu
Been to the swansea bay one (margam)
Oops you're right i'm wrong,its a combined coastal defence/CHL site as opposed to a CHEL/CHL,so as you say used a slightly different gantry mounted on the roof like here-
www.salthousehistory.co.uk/Ken%27sNo2.html
this was a bit unusual as the roof mounted gantry was more vulnerable to being blown off during storms
@@markavons3400 Yes I did wonder how they managed with having these so exposed near the cliffs, there was a radar station up the coast from here at Hopton which was a CH, CHL and eventually CHEL so I'm guessing this one wasn't required to be anything more than just a CHL station especially once they'd started using the mobile units .. Its all very interesting when you look into it, I really enjoy learning new information about these places 😊
@@ExploringWithEmAndStu Hopton was a rotorplan radar station later on,with an underground bunker
@@markavons3400 Yes we did a little video a while back were we tried to take a look at Hopton but of course with it all being privately owned we couldn't get near it but I do know people who have been down in the rotor bunker, apparently its very impressive!
Excellent. But for 500 metres read 500 FEET
Thanks Bob. The information we have states that Chain Home stations were only capable of detecting aircraft down to an altitude of about 500m (1500ft), where as the Chain Home Low stations, like this one were used for altitudes of between 500m (1500ft) and 150m (500ft). The Chain Home Extra Low stations were used for altitudes of lower than 150m (500ft) down to as low as 15m (50ft). Apologies if this is incorrect, radar is not my strongest subject.. 😁
Nicely filmed. Although I live nearby I had never seen it before.
Pity you had to spoil it by playing music over the narration making it irritating to listen to.
We try our best.. thanks for your feedback and for watching anyway.