Our work at Orford Ness

Remembering the workers of Orford Ness

For nearly 80 years from the early 20th century, thousands of men and women served their country by working on top-secret projects on Orford Ness. They were responsible for an astonishing series of developments in weaponry and defence systems that proved vital to the outcome of world conflicts.

Despite their resourcefulness, brilliance, perseverance and courage, their achievements have gone almost unrecognised. But now, at last, they have been remembered with a memorial stone on Orford Quay.

From initial idea to finished memorial

The memorial was proposed by the late Paddy Heazell, who was a National Trust volunteer and who wrote the book Most Secret – The Hidden History of Orford Ness. He suggested that a memorial would be a great way to encourage visitors to find out more about these scientific and technical achievements.

We worked with the Orford Town Trust, Orford Museum and the Touching the Tide Landscape Partnership Scheme to commission proposals from local sculptors. The winning design by Charlotte Howarth is sculpted and engraved in Yorkstone, and you can see it on Orford Quay today.

Can you help add to the memories?

We believe it’s vital to record memories about such an important part of the UK’s military history. The National Trust is keen to create an audio archive to capture the experiences of people who carried out work at Orford Ness. This will enable future generations to explore the history and significance of this iconic Suffolk site by hearing directly from the people who worked here.

Did you work on Orford Ness for organisations such as the Ministry of Defence, Royal Aircraft Establishment, Atomic Weapons Research Establishment, Royal Air Force and Cobra Mist? We’d also like to talk to people who built, equipped, and maintained the various test laboratories and infrastructure. If you can help, please call us on 01394 450900 or email orfordness@nationaltrust.org.uk.

Managing the marshes on Orford Ness

The river walls on Orford Ness were originally built to create and then protect rich grazing land from what had been salt marsh. The creation of such large new areas of grazing land required a heavy investment and for this reason only rich landowners could afford it – in this case probably King Henry II in the late 12th century.

Now the three areas of marsh on Orford Ness (Airfield Marshes, King’s Marsh and Lantern Marshes) are a mosaic of brackish lagoons, reedbed and grazing areas. This mosaic of habitats is perfect for wading birds, ground-nesting birds and a range of rare plants and animals.

 

Thank you 

With your ongoing support, we're able to continue our vital conservation work. Thank you for helping to protect these special places.