RAF Steingot, Donington on Bain, Lincolnshire
Author(s): Roger Thomas
RAF Stenigot was built circa 1938 as one of a series of twenty 'Chain Home' (CH) RDF stations, which provided long range early warning of aerial attack, from the Isle of Wight to the Orkneys. The site stands 151 metres (495 feet) above mean sea level and is located some 16.09 Kilometres (10 miles) south-west of Louth, near to the village of Donington on Bain. It originally occupied an area of 15.269 hectares (37.73 acres) and was enclosed by a chain-link perimeter fence, defended by eight pillboxes. The main 'A' Site was equipped with four 'Three Hundred and Sixty Foot, Self-supporting Steel Transmitter Towers', four 'Two Hundred and Forty Foot Self-supporting Timber Receiver Towers' and two 'One Hundred and Twenty Foot Self-supporting Timber Towers' associated with the 'Buried Reserve'. The transmitter block, the receiver block, and the stand-by set house were also located on the 'A' Site. The domestic 'B' Site was located at New Buildings, approximately 1 kilometre (½ mile) to the north-east. RAF Stenigot was up-graded post-war and was included in the 'Rotor' plan of the early 1950s. Currently the site occupies 5.556 hectares (13.729 acres) and many of the more ephemeral structures have been demolished. The surviving structures (December 1996) include; the receiver (Rx) block, the base of two receiver towers, the transmitter block, a steel transmitter tower, an air raid shelter, a water tower, the stand-by set house, two pillboxes, a Turner's curved asbestos hut, a pair of married quarters, a guard room and various footings. The 'A' Site also contains structures and features associated with two 'Gee' (radar navigation) stations, dating from 1941 and circa 1956. In addition to the steel transmitter mast, the site is dominated by the four parabolic dishes of the NATO 'Ace High' forward tropospheric scatter station, which was built within its own perimeter on the 'A' Site in 1960. For the purposes of this report, each of the RAF phases will be discussed, however, the NATO site is dealt with in a separate report.
- Report Number:
- 132/1998
- Series:
- Other
- Pages:
- 27
- Keywords:
- Modern Second World War Cold War Radar Station