Cordite Store, RSPB Rainham, Tank Hill Road, Purfleet, Essex

Oxford Archaeology (OA) carried out archaeological and historical analysis of the First World War cordite store at Purfleet, Essex. This was undertaken as an archaeological condition of planning approval granted to the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) prior to scheduled works at the site. Cordite was an important development in the late 19th century revolutionising military propellants and warfare. The cordite store was constructed in 1909 and played an important role during the First World War. There are few examples of such substantial cordite structures and the store at Purfleet is therefore of considerable archaeological interest. The most substantial surviving feature of the store is the earth embankment. It is probable that the cordite store was a brick structure which also housed an underground storage area. Unfortunately there is limited archaeological evidence remaining indicating the exact size and form of the structure