Drakelow

Synopsis

In 1942 the Rover company built 5k of tunnels to house a hidden factory of over 26,000 square metres in the sandstone hill at Drakelow, near Kidderminster. Rover was building parts for radial aero engines and its factories in Birmingham and Coventry were vulnerable to air raids. In the 1960s Drakelow was refurbished as a regional seat of government in response to the Cold War threat and remained that way until 1993. The video explores the complex, both the Rover factory area and the 1960s period, and shows a canteen, dormitories, offices and a BBC radio studio. The 1980s-1990s relics include shower rooms, the generator hall, together with another BBC studio and a kitchen with its stainless steel equipment virtually unused.

Language

English

Country

Great Britain

Medium

Video; Videocassette. VHS. col. 28 min.

Year of production

1997

Availability

Sale; 1998 sale: £9.87 (inclusive)

Subjects

Archaeology; History

Keywords

Cold War; factories; industrial archaeology

Production Company

Name

I A Recordings

Distributor

Name

I A Recordings

Email

info@iarecordings.org

Web

http://www.iarecordings.org External site opens in new window

Phone

01907 224 509

Address

PO Box 476
Telford
Shropshire
TF7 4RB

Notes

I.A. Recordings specialises in industrial archaeology and is dedicated to recording past and present industry on film and High Definition video, recording working industry as well as the remains of past industries. The archive contains complete productions and unedited footage, much of it available for sale on video or DVD.