Monument record 0660603002 - Westcott rocket test site K

Rocket motor test stands survive in two principle groups; those associated with firing solid fuel rocket motors and those asociated with liquid propellants. The largest solid fuel firing points are at K site. K1 test stand was built in late 1950s to allow rockets to be fired in an inverted position with the flume of gasses observed through the open roof and is the only one of its type known in Britain, still in use until the late 1980s. K2 was built in the late 1950s for test firing rocket motors in a horizontal position, the exhaust gasses deflected by a wall of refractory concrete (B5).
K1 and K2 sites are towards the western end of the NE-SW aligned runway, K1 is built on the runway itself, K2 is adjacent on the north edge of the runway (B7).
K1 test stand listed grade II and K2 test stand listed grade II+ in May 2013. See detailed descriptions, history and reasons for designation (B16, B20).