History from subbrit:
RAF Chenies was an R8 Ground Control Intercept (GCI) radar station built in the 1950's as part of the post war ROTOR Programme.
RAF Chenies had no married quarters or domestic camp with personnel being billeted at three of the dispersed sites of RAF Bovingdon, two miles north of Chenies from where they were bussed in daily.
It is unclear when Chenies came operational but in 1954 '163 Signals Unit, Chenies' replaced the Fighter Command Control Unit at Heathrow, It is clear the station was not completely ready at this time as a temporary Type B operations hut was required for the AN/FPS3 radar.
The ROTOR station at Chenies was however short lived closing as a radar station prior to 'The 1958 Plan', the successor to the Rotor Plan. In 1959 Chenies was awaiting disposal but along with RAF Bovingdon it was selected as an ideal site for the construction of underground silos for the Blue Streak missile programme. Disposal proceedings were immediately stopped but the project was later cancelled due to its apparent lack of credibility as a deterrent.
The station remained in RAF hand however becoming a Strike Command communications facility. In the mid 1980's Chenies also took on a new role as part of the Gandalf Project when a new radar was installed for the Met Office.
The R8 building has been redundant for many years. It was last used in the mid 1990's as a sports facility for the RAF with the two level operations room adapted as a games hall.
