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Wattisham - Anglia Radar Air Traffic Control Centre

Ware Road
Wattisham
Suffolk
25th July 2006

The site is located within a secure compound; there is a picket post at the gate after which the road divides, straight ahead to the control centre and left to the administration, accommodation and engineering blocks. At this junction there is a long building clad in corrugated steel, its purpose is unknown although it was probably a store. There is also a Norcon pillbox at the junction.

Turning left there are two prefabricated 'H' blocks, one either side of the road. The block on the left was for accommodation with laundry and shower facilities in the cross bar of the 'H'. The administration block was on the right and included the telephone exchange, the main administrative offices and the office of the base commander. Other rooms included a library which also doubled as a cinema, mess rooms, kitchen and a rest room.

The entrance to Anglia Radar - Photo by Paul C Low

Aerial view of Anglia Radar with Air Traffic Control Centre top, administration and barracks middle, Airman's club to the left of the barracks . Further buildings were scheduled to be demolished in the spring of 2009

The H Blocks are now empty and derelict although still in reasonable condition. They have been stripped of all fixtures and fittings although some signage remains.

Beyond the 'H' blocks is the brick build engineering block which has now been put to industrial use.

The technical site at the end of the second road is again of brick construction with a brick and timber extension on the west side.

Photo:The engineering block
Photo by Nick Catford

Ops Table - this is where all the information on aircraft was sent; name, flight call sign, destination, type of aircraft, expected time of return, etc. All this information was put onto a strip of paper and given to the Controller for whatever air base the plane was flying out of or into

On the south side of the building is the standby generator block with a siren on the roof. This is locked and it is unknown if the generators are still in place. The control centre has also been stripped of all fixtures and fittings wit the exception of a small telephone distribution rack and some electrical switchgear. Marks on the floor indicate the position of the equipment racks. There is a small air-conditioning plant room in an adjacent building; this still contains its fan, trunking and electrical switchgear.

Additional hutting is sited on the east side of the Air Traffic Control Centre. A number of other buildings have now gone.

A later, wholly civilian CAA radar, also known as Anglia Radar, was set up at Stanstead Airport. This has no connection with the earlier establishment at Wattisham and has now transferred to Aberdeen

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