Spotlight falls on Garendon estate in WWII

STEPHEN Taylor the renowned television personalty was invited on January 14th by the Shepshed History Society to give an in depth talk on what actually occurred on the Garendon estate during WWII.

It would appear that the government chose this particular area in order to stock pile 30,000 tons of English and American ammunition. So the Royal Army Ordnance Corp was moved in to set it up,- the 32, Ammo Sub Depot to be more exact.

The grand house much to its detriment was used to house military personnel who organised vast areas of the estate along with miles of Leics. country lanes to store this lethal ammo.

Heaps of ammunition would be stocked piled on the sides of these lanes which reached as far as Melton Mowbray, health and safety obviously not an issue in those days

Over time Stephen has dug up numerous artefacts on the estate including, a variety of bullets, ordnance shells, fuses, cap badges, buckles and bits of anti tank mines.

After the war, orders were given to blow up the stock piles remaining and situated by the Needle Obelisk was sited a very big crater where the army blew up unwanted ammo and this crater remained for a great many years before it was filled in and returned to farm land.

The army finally left the estate in 1951, but the estate has never recovered from this troublesome onslaught and this awesome era has now sunk into the annuls of modern history, a sad testimony to the folly of man and the world at large.

Stephen brought countless items he had dug up and showed many interesting slides, so it was a very interesting and thought provoking evening all round.

The February meeting on Feb 11twill be given by Robert Mee, his subject to be Village Lockups. New comers are always welcome.