Wordie House
| Wordie House | |
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| Location: | 65°15’0"S, 64°16’0"W |
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Wordie ‘Base F (Wordie House)’ stands on a very small, flat peninsula on Winter Island, amongst the 'Argentine Islands'. The base here was established in January 1947 as (Base F) ‘Argentine Islands’ and the main hut, ‘Wordie House’, was named after the chief scientist on Ernest Shackleton’s epic 1914–17 expedition.
The hut is surrounded by water to the immediate south.
History
This hut also stands on the foundations of an earlier building, used by the British Graham Land Expedition of 1935–36, which was destroyed (possibly by a tsunami) in 1946.
The most important scientific research carried out here was in meteorology. Recording instruments were housed in meteorological screens, one of which can still be seen today a short distance to the east of the hut. The meteorological recording programme transferred to the larger base on Galindez Island when Wordie House closed in 1954, where that programme continues to this day. This work has produced one of the longest and most important continuous scientific datasets from the Antarctic.
Wordie House was designated a Historic Site and Monument in 1995. A work party from the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust landed in the 2009/2010 season and made the base structurally secure and weather-tight. An estimated 500 artefacts are to be found on site.
In addition to the building, there is also a rare timber sign which dates from 1947.
Outside links
- Wordie Visitor Guide – Antarctic Treaty
- Wordie Information sheet – UK Antarctic Heritage Trust
- Wordie blog