Pontrilas Army Training Area
| Pontrilas Army Training Area | |
|---|---|
| Pontrilas, Herefordshire | |
Pontrilas Army Training Area
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 Pontrilas Army Training Area
Location within Herefordshire
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| Coordinates | 51°57′56″N 2°52′34″W / 51.96556°N 2.87611°WCoordinates: 51°57′56″N 2°52′34″W / 51.96556°N 2.87611°W |
| Type | Barracks |
| Site information | |
| Owner | Ministry of Defence |
| Operator |
 British Army
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| Site history | |
| Built | 1930s |
| Built for | War Office |
| In use | 1930s-Present |
Pontrilas Army Training Area is a British Army training camp, located just north of the village of Ewyas Harold near to Pontrilas in Herefordshire, England. Originally developed pre-World War II by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) as an ammunition dump, it was served by the Golden Valley Railway.
During the 1930s, there was a recognition of a need to provide secure storage for munitions within the United Kingdom. The proposal was to create three Central Ammunition Depots (CAD) : one in the south (Monkton Farleigh); one in the north of England (Longtown, Cumbria); and one in the Midlands (Nesscliffe).
Beyond these, a series of sub-depots was created by the MoD in the area, to allow further distribution. Each was connected to the national rail network, and was laid out over an extensive area to avoid total destruction should an accidental explosion occur, or the site be attacked by enemy.
Named Elm Bridge, the servicing railway branch line was just before Abbeydore railway station and the level crossing. Unlike the main CAD's, the initial war-time onsite batch of locomotives and train drivers was provided by the Great Western Railway, which also maintained the extensive onsite network. Always guarded by the Royal Military Police and serviced by regular troops, it was only after the war from 1948 that the Royal Engineers provided the onsite logistics.
After the closure and lifting of the Golden Valley Railway to Dorstone in 1953 and cessation of passengers services at the same time, the line was maintained as a freight-only facility to service the depot until its closure in 1957.
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