ROF Bishopton

ROF Bishopton

The Royal Ordnance Factory (ROF) Bishopton was a UK Ministry of Supply, World War II, Explosive ROF. It is sited adjacent to the town of Bishopton, Renfrewshire, in Scotland.

It was built, with the Ministry of Works acting as Agents, as three separate, almost self-contained, explosive factories within the same perimeter fence. They shared a common Administration Group and Workshop Support Services Group. The factory was built to manufacture propellant, Cordite in the main, for the British Army and the Royal Air Force. It did not produce propellant for the Royal Navy in World War II as the Admiralty demanded, and got, its own propellant factories.

The three explosive factories opened between December 1940 and April 1941. Explosives manufacturing survived on parts of the site until about 2000; although ROF Bishopton was privatised in the early 1980s.

The privatised ROFs become known in 1984 as Royal Ordnance PLC, then in 1987 as RO Defence; and now BAE Systems Global Combat Systems Munitions.

The site is still owned by BAE Systems, who in conjunction with Redrow Homes, have submitted locally controversial proposals to use a large part of this site for building new housing. If accepted this could, at least, double the size of Bishopton.