ARMY BOMB DISPOSAL TEAM CALLED IN AFTER VICTORIAN EXPLOSIVES FOUND IN CORFE CASTLE RAILWAY CUTTING

News Item from Andrew P.M. Wright - dated 6th August 2011
Official photographer & press officer, Swanage Railway.
Photographs are copyright as noted
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Army bomb disposal experts inspect the Victorian explosive charge discovered in Corfe Castle railway cutting. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

An expert Army bomb disposal team has been called in after potentially dangerous Victorian explosives - thought to be 126 years old - were found in a railway cutting at Corfe Castle.

It is believed the unexploded gunpowder blasting charge dated from 1884 when railway navvies were constructing a cutting through the chalk rock of the Challow Hill of the Purbeck Hills.

The late 19th century work was part of the two-year £77,000 construction of the ten mile branch line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage by the business entrepreneurs of the Victorian Swanage Railway Company.

The Victorian explosive charge discovered in Corfe Castle railway cutting. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

Now, 126 years on, the discovery of the unexploded gunpowder blasting charge was made after heavy rain around 3.20pm on Thursday, 4 August 2011, by a member of the Swanage Railway's track maintenance gang.

Measuring three inches wide and one inch deep, the unexploded gunpowder blasting charge was spotted in the side of the chalk rock cutting some five feet off the ground.

Swanage Railway staff immediately called the police which attended and carefully examined the Victorian relic before calling in an expert Army bomb disposal team from Tidworth on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire.

Police make their initial inspection of the Victorian explosives discovered in Corfe Castle railway cutting. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

Both the police and the Army bomb disposal team from the Royal Logistics Corps decided it was safe enough to allow passenger trains to pass through the railway cutting every 40 minutes at a reduced speed of five miles per hour.

The Army bomb disposal team carefully examined and made the unexploded gunpowder blasting charge completely safe between passing steam trains during a 90-minute operation.

Made safe by 6pm on Thursday, 4 August 2011, the unexploded gunpowder blasting charge was taken away by the Army bomb disposal team for safe disposal.

Police and Army bomb disposal vehicles at Corfe Castle station. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

Swanage Railway infrastructure manager Alistair Hall said: "It's not every day that you come across a potentially explosive relic of the Victorian railway builders.

"It's really incredible and amazing the unexploded Victorian gunpowder blasting charge has been in the side of the railway cutting for 126 years without anyone noticing.

"Between the opening of the branch line in 1885 and the end of the British Rail line in 1972 - when the tracks were torn up for scrap - hundreds of thousands of trains have run past the spot where these Victorian explosives were found.

"Lots of walkers have also used the disused railway cutting between 1972 and the rebuilding of the railway line through Corfe Castle which reopened to passengers back in 1995.

Normality returns to Corfe Castle station after the explosive charge was taken away for disposal. Photo copyright Andrew P.M. Wright

"Throughout all those years, nobody noticed the Victorian explosive charge - perhaps people thought it was a rock blemish or a fossil or it could have been covered by wild plants?

"The safety of the public, our staff and our volunteers is our top priority and you cannot be too careful no matter how minimal the risk may seem. As soon as the unexploded explosives were found in the railway cutting, we called the police which contacted an Army bomb disposal team.

"We're very grateful to the police and the Army bomb disposal team for making the unexploded explosive charge safe and disposing of the material," explained Mr Hall.

Details of the Swanage Railway's steam and diesel train services - as well as special events - are available by following the menu links on the left of this page or by calling 01929 425800.

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