Fauld Crater -
A trip just over the border into Staffordshire, to visit the WW2 site at Fauld Crater near Tutbury. The story of the Fauld Explosion is incredible, and has made a permanent impression on the landscape of the area.
Our thanks to Jenny Throup for the photographs.
(Click on the forward/backward arrows to scroll through the photos -
A view near the start of the walk, of Tutbury Castle.
The castle was built by the Ferrers family, the Earls of Derby, shortly after the Norman Conquest. It is perhaps most renowned for being the prison of Mary Queen of Scots on several occasions between 1569 and 1585.
The Erewash Ramblers are, let’s be honest, not the youngest group of walkers to be found in Derbyshire.
However, we welcome all, and it is always good if we are joined by the youngsters.
So please come along, and bring your family too.
RAF Fauld was an underground munitions storage centre, and at 11.11am on Monday 27 November 1944, the largest explosion ever to occur in the UK took place here.
The resulting crater is 100 feet deep, and 250 yards across.
The memorial records the names of 70 who died, some of whose bodies were never found.
Click on the photograph to get an enlarged version.
The information panel gives more details of the Fauld Explosion.
As the sign says, there are unexploded bombs in the crater area….
A dangerous place for a picnic lunch perhaps.
Some routes are used far more than others.
This stile suggests that it is not regularly trodden upon, as the greenery not only surrounds it but also grows upon it!