Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement for the former Thorp Arch Royal Ordnance Factory
Moores Furniture Group Ltd, Queen Mary House, Thorp Arch Trading Estate, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, LS23 7BR
Listed on the National Heritage List for England. Search over 400,000 listed places
Overview
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1407624
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jul-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement for the former Thorp Arch Royal Ordnance Factory
- Statutory Address:
- Moores Furniture Group Ltd, Queen Mary House, Thorp Arch Trading Estate, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, LS23 7BR
Location
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Discover moreOfficial list entry
- Heritage Category:
- Listed Building
- Grade:
- II
- List Entry Number:
- 1407624
- Date first listed:
- 09-Jul-2012
- List Entry Name:
- Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement for the former Thorp Arch Royal Ordnance Factory
- Location Description:
- Gun emplacement sited at SE 4559 4671
- Statutory Address 1:
- Moores Furniture Group Ltd, Queen Mary House, Thorp Arch Trading Estate, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, LS23 7BR
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
The scope of legal protection for listed buildings
This List entry helps identify the building designated at this address for its special architectural or historic interest.
Unless the List entry states otherwise, it includes both the structure itself and any object or structure fixed to it (whether inside or outside) as well as any object or structure within the curtilage of the building.
For these purposes, to be included within the curtilage of the building, the object or structure must have formed part of the land since before 1st July 1948.
Location
- Statutory Address:
- Moores Furniture Group Ltd, Queen Mary House, Thorp Arch Trading Estate, Thorp Arch, Wetherby, LS23 7BR
The building or site itself may lie within the boundary of more than one authority.
- District:
- Leeds (Metropolitan Authority)
- Parish:
- Walton
- National Grid Reference:
- SE4558546706
Summary
Second World War Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement, circa 1941.
Reasons for Designation
The Thorp Arch Light Anti-Aircraft gun emplacement at SE45594671 is listed grade II for the following principal reasons:
* Rarity of survival: although large numbers of LAA guns were emplaced during the Second World War, very few still survive because of their relatively insubstantial construction, this example is particularly well preserved.
* Mounting: the Motley Stork mounting is an exceptionally rare survival.
* ROF Thorp Arch: as a marker for the historic interest of the Royal Ordnance Factory.
History
Thorp Arch was constructed as a Royal Ordnance Filling Factory in 1940-41. This extensive factory was spread over 642 acres (nearly 260 ha) and employed 18,000 workers. Its roll was to assemble and to fill with explosive a wide range of ordnance from 20mm rounds, through to larger artillery shells and bombs. Although the factory's defence against aerial attack was mainly passive (for instance by the buildings being well dispersed) it was also provided with a small number of Light Anti-Aircraft guns to deter low level intruder attacks by enemy aircraft. The gun emplacement at SE 4559 4671 is the last surviving example at Thorp Arch and retains its Motley Stork (also spelt Motley Stalk) mounting which, in this case, is believed to have been for a 20mm Polsten Cannon (a gun used principally by RAF fighters, the ammunition for which was produced at Thorp Arch).
Details
MATERIALS Brick and reinforced concrete,steel gun mounting.DESCRIPTION
Low,circular,brick walled emplacement nearly 5m in diameter with a flat concrete roof with a central hole nearly 1.5m in diameter through which the mounting for the gun projects.The steel gun mounting is fixed onto a concrete pedestal that rises from the floor of the emplacement.In operation the gunner stood on the pedestal,with spare ammunition stored beneath the concrete roof.Access to the ammunition store was via a low open doorway on the west side,protected by an outer, brick blast wall.There is also a second access:a very low hatchway,retaining its timber door,through the base of the emplacement's wall on the south east side.
Sources
Books and journals
Christensen, M, Archive: Quarterly Journal Of British Industrial And Transport History in ROF Thorp Arch, (1999)
Legal
This building is listed under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 as amended for its special architectural or historic interest.
Map
This map is for quick reference purposes only and may not be to scale. This copy shows the entry on 03-Jun-2026 at 22:09:07.
Download a full scale map (PDF)© Crown copyright [and database rights] 2026. OS AC0000815036. All rights reserved. Ordnance Survey Licence number 100024900.© British Crown and SeaZone Solutions Limited 2026. All rights reserved. Licence number 102006.006.
End of official list entry