Truleigh Hill Then and Now

The RAF Truleigh Hill Radar base has seen an immense amount of change in the short time it has been hidden from public view. The World War 2 radar base was a sprawling overground site with scattered buildings and technical structures. Within a few years of the end of the war the threat and technology had moved on and Truleigh Hill was one of a number of sites chosen for the top secret expansion and upgrade of radar early warning capability. A huge civil engineering project of unparalled size was undertaken and in less than a year an underground, blast proof facility was dug, built and covered. The detail of the scale of similar cold war construction projects is told here. The detail of RAF Truleigh Hill’s history is recounted here.

Post war RAF site layout with facilities at that time, pre-ROTOR bunker construction. Image RCHME

The location of the 1952 underground facility and access tunnel overlayed the 2023 aerial view.

Standard design for Rotor R2 bunkers similar to Truleigh Hill. Image from http://www.ventnorradar.co.uk/index.htm

Standard design for bungalow. Image from http://www.ventnorradar.co.uk/index.htm

To find out more history of RAF Truleigh Hill please visit the detailed articles on Shorehambysea.com.
A list of other ROTOR sites is here.

Truleigh Hill bunker and site is now bricked up and secure, with surface buildings in use by BT. There are significant hazards on the site and illegal access sand trespass is discouraged.

For an exploration of the inside of Truleigh Hill ROTOR bunker see this video: (unauthorised visit)

Truleigh Hill Bunker unauthorised tour

For an exploration of the inside of a near identical Guardhouse (at Bawdsey ROTOR, Suffolk ) see this video:

Bawdsey Bungalow unauthorised tour

If you wish to visit an accessible, complete former ROTOR then Government emergency bunker then Kelvedon Hatch is open to the public.

Kelvedon Hatch Bunker, explanation of role of ROTOR