In 1938, the Ministry of Defence realised that if war occurred, the UK's current stores of aviation fuel wouldn't be enough. They urgently commissioned a handful of secret fuel depots to be connected to the Government Pipeline and Storage System (GPSS) - an underground network than transported fuel to RAF bases around the country.

Here in Shropshire, our site was the perfect location - good transport links but far away from neighbouring towns and cities to go undetected. The vast part of the site was transformed underground, where over 22 tanks were built to store aviation fuel and connected to the GPSS to transport it nationwide. An ethyl production house was also built to manufacture ethanol as an additive to aviation fuel.

Over 80 years on we are doing what we can to preserve this incredible history. The old Ethyl House is now the distillery - manufacturing the same alcohol but for a very different purpose. The old aviation fuel tanks have been converted into unique maturation warehouse where we age our rum barrels under perfect conditions. Finally, the old Generator Bunker has become our tasting room - a place to raise a glass surrounded by the same spirit and history that make this site so special.