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Here are some extracts from emails received about Portsdown Main. The italicised comments in [] brackets are mine.

I had my first job after graduation at ASWE, from October 1975 to October 1977. I actually worked for Ferranti, an on-site contractor (we had two portakabins!), MoD code XBC3F.

I had a happy two years at ASWE. We used to walk to the canteen at lunchtimes, getting stunning views of the Solent, for free. MoD police on site, with dogs. We were often stopped if we'd forgotten to put our ID badges on. A lay-by thoughtfully provided outside where Russian spies could park and take photographs of people going into work and their car registration numbers!

I remember the day I started; the USS Nimitz was anchored out in the Solent, too big to come into Portsmouth harbour. 91500 tons, a monster of a ship. Then the Royal Review of the Fleet in 1976. Scores of visiting warships anchored in the Solent. I went up into the 'radar building' (which had a radar the size of a single-decker bus permanently rotating above it). We'd never seen so many 'blips' on the screen. I also remember the drought of 1976, which spectacularly ended in a thunderstorm at Portsmouth naval base, when I was there on 'Navy Day'.

I used to work on systems for Type 42 frigates, in particular HMS Sheffield, later to be destroyed in the Falklands conflict. HMS Bristol too I think, but she was a 'one off', the MoD switched to the cheaper Type 42s. The same system was to go onto the 'ARA 42s', which were working up in Portsmouth at the time. 'ARA' was the Armada Republica Argentina, the ships were later named Hercules and Trinidad Santisima. I think they came out of port in the Falklands conflict, only to beat a hasty retreat when the saw the Royal Navy on the horizon! They stayed in port for the rest of the conflict.

The 'big' radar was the Type 965, two smaller ones fore and aft (under hemispherical cowlings) were Type 909s. Considered 'old technology' even back in the 1970s.

I often wondered what happened to ASWE, I guessed it was probably sold to Qinetic or became part of the DRA, looks like I wasn't far off. Maybe it'll be sold off for 'executive housing', but I hope not. I did get in touch with one of my colleagues via Friends Reunited, but I've forgotten the names of most of the others, it all seems a long time ago now.

Anonymity requested - March 2007

What a joy! Browsing your website brought back many happy memories of my time at ASWE, and answered many questions I'd pondered since first setting foot on the Hill, although I found the pictures of empty rooms rather sad.

I was "posted" to ASWE Portsdown in 1973 and worked there for about 9 months. I'll never forget the scene that presented itself on day one as the "ferry" came over the crest onto Portsdown Hill. The hilltop positively bristled with radar dishes and antennae. That image is permanently burned into my memory! The "ferry"" was a black saloon car or navy blue Bedford van, running from ASWE Portsdown to Havant station.

After a while I started to notice all those peculiar features in the landscape so well documented in your website. I remember saying to colleagues "What a fascinating place this is". Since then I've spent many happy hours immersed in books on defensive structures, Napoleonic forts, bunkers and tunnels, so the Hill obviously had an effect on me! By the way, the deputy director of ASWE (in 1980) Dr John Wood, wrote a fine book called "Sun, Moon and Standing Stones" on the subject of megalithic circles.

My digs were on Hayling Island, for which I have vague memories of shark sandwiches and strong beer. 

Andrew Taylor - May 2006

I was an apprentice at ASWE in the 70s. One of your photos shows a tiny bit of the old apprentice training shop. The place doesn't look too bad other than the overgrowth. On the south side of the workshops used to be the sheetmetal shop a newer structure where I spent most of my time 1973-1978. Although the W in ASWE stood for weapons the work concentrated mostly on RADAR R&D. The massive main shop contained some really long lathes used for radar masts. The coppersmiths I worked with would spend hours bending and polishing waveguides (rectangular metal pipe) which the radar signal would travel thru. 

On one expedition to the dockyard I got to help fit a shield on HMS Sheffield to prevent exhaust from her stack interfering with the radar installation behind it. Several years later after I had moved to the USA and the Falklands war was on, I thought about that piece of my handywork, now forever under the southern Atlantic. Keep up the good work

Paul Emery - October 2004

I lived in Portsmouth for a while - once in the 1980s and again in the 1990s. I used  to work for the MoD and was based at Portsdown Main.

The site changed quite a bit between the two times I was there. Originally the Engineering buildings had a full metal workshop and I believe a composite materials workshop which supported the research work that ARE did. In the 90s the engineering shops were vacated as the site stopped its Research work and essentially became offices for mainly MoD Civilians supporting Defence Procurement more than anything else.

I do remember Security was pretty lax in the 80s. It got better in the 90s. Friends and I had competitions to see what we could replace the passes with that you had to show gate security to get into the site. As I recall a slice of toast and lettuce leaf both worked!

I did come upon a secure area once. I was passing a door in one of the many other buildings on the site that was very similar to the "strong Room" picture you have and it was opened so I had a look. Inside was a fairly large office area which was being refurbished. It looked like it was
soundproofed and probably screened against radio. This sort of area would have been used for work on Top Secret Projects - Secret and below was pretty routine and just about everyone is cleared to Secret as a matter of course. It was interesting in as much as any area one doesn't know about is interesting, but not really mysterious in any way. Unfortunately I opened another door whilst inside which led outside the building. It was early evening so few people were around. The door could only be shut by locking it with a key, and there wasn't one, so I had to go find security and confess my sins so they could lock the door again.


Mark Nicholson - October 2004

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