DPP Assignment 3 - Re-Visited.

In his response to my submission my tutor also suggested that I might care to visit Orford Ness where there were installations that I could have considered for my chosen theme of 'defences'. It so happens that I was fortunate to have paid a visit to the site approximately 18 months ago when I was able to visit the whole of the site including that part that is not normally accessible to the public.

Orford Ness is a National Trust Property near to Woodbridge in Suffolk. It is a Nature Reserve and is the largest shingle beach in Europe. It was also used for various purposes by the Military from 1913 including the testing of the forces that atomic weapons would face in use such as stress, pressure and vibration. Presumably so that they did not detonate early! It is this testing area that is not normally open to the general public but for many it is the most interesting part (my apologies to all shingle lovers and the lovers of nature for whom this area is a paradise.)

The most noticeable feature of the military area is the 'pagodas'

Why they got their name is fairly obvious from this image of one of them (There were 6 originally). They are designed to withstand/contain any accidental blast (note there was no nuclear fuel used during the testing) and, so I am told, the pagoda roof is supported by columns that would collapse dropping the roof onto the structure below thus sealing the area. As far as I know this was never put to the test.

There was a large number of staff employed on the site and their canteen that has all the appearance of a government building is now in a derelict state although it is not difficult to imagine it as it was in its heyday. The roll of razor wire in the foreground of the picture suggests that the decision to abandon the site was a fairly speedy one.

There is other debris around the site suggesting that there was very little or no effort made by the MoD to re-cycle any useable material on the site. One particular piece that caught my eye was:

I called this image 'ET'. I have never worked out exactly what it was.

The other striking feature on the Ness is the lighthouse that is red and white striped. Clearly another form of defence; I took these two pictures:

The pictures have been deliberately under-exposed to give a sense of foreboding whilst at the same time drawing the viewer's attention to the lighthouse. The second one has been taken using the broken doorway of a derelict building to provide the frame.

All of the images were taken in Colour and subsequently turned into monochrome pictures using Nik Software's Silver Efex. The monochrome effect works very well for the subject matter creating very graphic and gritty pictures that helps concentrate the mind on what the buildings were used for.