As part of the Hereford Guild of Mayor’s Guides off-season educational events, we visited the Rotherwas Munitions Factory for an engaging talk presented by Rotherwas Together, dedicated to promoting the site’s rich history and its present significance.

During WW1 over 1,600,000 women entered the workforce, 950,000 of whom were so-called “munitionettes”, who between them made more than 80% of all the shells and weapons used by the British Army. At Rotherwas alone, they made between 70,000 and 95,000 shells a week, and women made up to 77% of the workforce. Rotherwas Munitions Factory – Herefordshire Council

The Rotherwas Munitions Factory, located near Hereford, was one of Britain’s major explosive-filling plants during both World Wars, playing a vital yet often overlooked role in the nation’s war effort. Established in 1916, it produced and filled millions of artillery shells, bombs, and other munitions, employing thousands of workers—many of them women—who undertook dangerous, physically demanding tasks in strict secrecy. The site expanded significantly during the Second World War, becoming a sprawling complex of assembly lines, storage bunkers, rail connections, and blast-proof buildings designed to minimize casualties in the event of accidents or air raids. Despite the hazards, the workforce developed a strong sense of camaraderie and pride in their contribution. Today, remnants of the factory serve as an industrial and heritage site, preserving the memory of the people whose behind-the-scenes labour proved essential to Britain’s wartime resilience.

This was followed by a trip to the “Bunker,” a personal collection of WW2 military vehicles and and other memorabilia, for a fantastic and immersive experience.