Winfrith

Winfrith nuclear power station
UKAEA sign
Location of Winfrith nuclear power station in Dorset
Country	England
Location	Winfrith Newburgh, Dorset
Coordinates	50°40′55″N 2°15′40″W / 50.682°N 2.261°W / 50.682; -2.261Coordinates: 50°40′55″N 2°15′40″W / 50.682°N 2.261°W / 50.682; -2.261
Status	Decommissioned
Construction began	1957
Commission date	1959
Decommission date	2021
Operator(s)	UKAEA
Nuclear power station
Reactor type	SGHWR
Thermal power station
Primary fuel	Nuclear
Power generation
Nameplate capacity	100MW
grid reference SY815870

Winfrith Atomic Energy Establishment (or AEE Winfrith) was a United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority site near Winfrith Newburgh in Dorset. It covered an area on Winfrith Heath to the west of the village of Wool between the A352 road and the London Waterloo to Weymouth railway line. It was home to a demonstration steam-generating heavy water reactor (SGHWR) providing power to the National Grid, as well as to a nuclear research facility.

The initial steps that led to the formation of Winfrith began with the creation of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority (AEA) from the former Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) in 1954. John Cockcroft, in charge of the Research Group, immediately began pressing for a new site to be set aside for the construction of multiple experimental reactors, with the aim being to try many designs in order to develop the best possible commercial systems. This was opposed by Christopher Hinton, of the Industrial Group, who wanted to pick a single design and focus their energies on that. Cockcroft eventually won the acrimonious argument.

The site in Dorset was selected and led to the formation of the opposition group, the Dorset Land Resources Committee, led by Colonel Joseph Weld. The government stepped in and passed the Winfrith Heath Bill in 1957, allowing the AEA to acquire 650 acres by compulsory purchase order and another similar size through normal purchases to bring the site to 1,350 acres. To house the staff, they also purchased 153 homes in Bournemouth and Poole for staff to rent, as well as 127 in Weymouth, 100 in Dorchester, 24 in Wareham and 12 in Wool. The Durley Hall Hotel at Branksome Chine was bought in 1958 for single staff and temporary accommodation.

Construction began in 1957, and the first low-energy reactor, ZENITH, was completed and in operation by the end of 1959. The site did not officially open until 16 September 1960. This was quickly followed by two new reactors, NESTOR in 1961 and DIMPLE in 1962. Many others followed.