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Gourock, Gourock Park, Larkfield Road, Gas Decontamination Centre
Decontamination Building (Second World War)
Site Name Gourock, Gourock Park, Larkfield Road, Gas Decontamination Centre
Classification Decontamination Building (Second World War)
Alternative Name(s) Gourock House; World War Ii
Canmore ID 294123
Site Number NS27NW 166
NGR NS 24578 77083
NGR Description NS 24585 77097, NS 24578 77083 and NS 24577 77067
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/294123
- Council Inverclyde
- Parish Inverkip
- Former Region Strathclyde
- Former District Inverclyde
- Former County Renfrewshire
NS27NW 166 24585 77097, 24578 77083 and 24577 77067
Three flat roofed buildings forming a decontamination centre. Buildings at NS 24585 77097, NS 24578 77083 and NS 24577 77068, some with water tanks on roof. One smaller building at NS 24568 77072.
Information to RCAHMS via e-mail from Mr J Bamber, 7 April 2008
Four flat roofed brick and concrete buildings comprising a gas decontamination centre are situated on the E side of Gourock Park adjacent to Larkfield Road. The site was reported to RCAHMS by M Bamber.
Two of the buildings measure about 20m x 10m (NS 24585 77097 and NS 24578 77083), and the southernmost one (NS 24577 77067), measures about 12.50m x 7.3m overall. The fourth, on the W side of the group measures about 5.3m x 2.4m. All lie in an approximate E-W configuration with the smaller building (NS 24568 77072) aligned N-S. All of the three larger buildings have short towers mounted on the roof to house water tanks. The southernmost building has a short canopy supported by steel angle iron columns, over the E end. The small building may have been for the electricity generator. There are windows in all buildings except the engine house, but only a few retain the steel frames and all show the brick walls through the deteriorating harling.
None of the buildings were entered on the date of visit and the whole site is scheduled to be cleared within the next few months.
The gas decontamination centre was likely have been constructed to cleanse the civilian population in the event of a gas attack, but the presence of the heavy anti-aircraft battery at Coves Reservoir (NS27NW 20) and other military sites in the area might suggest a dual pupose. Entry of affected persons would be at one end of the building with the removal of clothing in the first chamber followed by showering and eye washing events and the final chamber would be for dressing in clean clothes, the affected clothing being discarded.
Visited by RCAHMS (DE, SC, AL), 17 April 2007
Information supplied to RCAHMS by Mr Bamber (e-mail 30 September 2008) has confirmed that all buildings on this site have now been cleared.
Information to RCAHMS, via e-mail from Mr J Bamber 30 September 2008.
