The Kirkby ROF (Royal Ordinance Factory) or “filling station No.7” was a massive munitions factory which churned out 1 in 10 of every Bang Britain made. It was so massive that it had over 1,000 buildings 18 miles of roads and 23 miles of Railway including its own station. The factory cost around about £8,500,000.

The first shells where sent packing in September 1940 when there was only around 100 staff. This was soon to grow and in the factories peak there where around twenty three thousand workers who where mainly women. I live in Liverpool and almost everyone I talk to about the factory; knew someone who worked there including me.

Now there is very little left of the factory as most of the site was developed into an industrial estate after the war. However there are a few buildings that remain inside the industrial estate and its close surroundings. I have also been told stories by my dad who used to work on the industrial estate
that there are tunnels underground. One of which was "accidently" found by a bus when the road collapsed from underneath it a few years ago.

here is a satelite image of surviving buildings on the industrial estate and a picture of one.



below is a pic of the existing bunkers from sub-brit.
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/k/kirkby/kw1.jpg

My explore was a surviving small munition storage depot believed to be part of the site. There is also pictures from a nearby storage depot in Rainford which had a direct railway link to the Kirkby ROF.

Anyway on with the goods! the first image is a satelite image of the site notice how far apart the building are spaced.













couldnt figure out what these metal circles were for any idea's?






This building looked like the toilet block.

The next few pictures are of the ammuntion depot in Rainford. Im told the depot was used to prepare some tanks for D-day but I dont know how true this is.

What I do know is the site is now also a small industiral estate. There is still some obvious signs of its history as the photos show. The first Image is a satelite image of the area and how it was linked by rail to Kirkby/ Simondswood ROF.