First World War Regimental Institute, Stow Maries Aerodrome, Cold Norton (EHER 81742)

The Regimental Institute (the name assigned to this building on the 1918 RAF plan of Stow Maries) functioned as the other ranks' mess and comprised a dining hall, kitchen and a range of smaller sitting rooms and offices. It is brick-built with a slate-covered roof, and appears to be essentially of one phase. The building is on a 'J-shaped' plan and encloses a walled yard which houses a small lean-to range of outbuildings against the perimeter wall which may have had ancillary functions to the kitchen. One of the rooms retains traces of patterned wallpaper and an elaborately moulded architrave which suggests the smaller rooms may have been set aside to accommodate the finer gradations of military rank.

1997. RCHME field survey. The Regimental Institute (the name assigned to this building on the 1918 RAF plan of Stow Maries) functioned as the other ranks' mess, and should be compared with the officers' mess (EHER 81757) further south. A sergeants' mess was also planned for the airfield according to the RAF survey, but it has not been identified among the remaining buildings, and it may never have been built. The Regimental Institute has a 'J-shaped' plan formed from three principal ranges. The north range is the largest, comprising seven bays from east to west. Towards its east end a four-bay east range projects southwards, and from the south end of the latter a three-bay south range extends westwards. The area enclosed by the three ranges is partly taken up by a lean-to against the west wall of the east range, but the greater part forms a walled yard, in the SW corner of which there is a small lean-to range of outbuildings against the perimeter wall. The external brickwork is currently concealed by pebble-dash but the whole complex seems to be essentially of one phase. The basic division of functions seems to be as follows: the north range served as the dining hall, the east range was mostly given over to the kitchen (with what was probably a scullery in the lean-to) and the south range provided a series of smaller sitting rooms and offices. Since internal access to the officers' mess (EHER 81757) was not possible, it is unfortunately impossible to compare the range of accommodation and the quality of fixtures and fittings directly. The dining hall occupies the whole of the north range. A double-doored entrance in the west gable provides the only external access. The room is lit by windows in every bay of the north elevation and the three westernmost bays of the south. No sign of heating is apparent. Where the kitchen adjoins the dining hall there are two serveries. The east range was divided between a large kitchen and a small room or rooms occupying the south bay. Few original features have survived in the kitchen and no evidence for a conventional kitchen fireplace was found. The unheated lean-to adjoining appears to have been used either for food preparation or as a scullery or both. Its corrugated iron roof contrasts with the Welsh slate used elsewhere. In the southernmost bay of the east range there is evidence for two stoves served by a single external chimney stack on the south gable. The west half of this bay was partitioned off to provide a small room which communicated directly with the adjoining room in the south range. Traces of patterned wallpaper survive in this room, and the doorway leading into the south range has an elaborately moulded architrave similar to those noted in the senior non-commissioned officer's (NCO) accommodation (EHER 81755). It is unclear whether there was another room partitioned off in the east half of this bay, though the presence of the second stove would tend to suggest this arrangement. Access to the south range was not possible at the time of survey. The range is divided into a number of small rooms and linking passages. As well as access from the kitchen and from the papered room in the east range, there is external access from the yard to the north. An L-shaped passage leading from this entrance and lit by borrowed light serves rooms in the western two bays principally: two small unheated south-facing rooms, and a west-facing room with a stove in the NW corner served by an external chimney stack. It is unclear how the rooms in the south range - and the papered room in the east range with which they are linked - were used. While some - particularly the very plain rooms which were accessible from the kitchen yard - may have served the book-keeping and other administrative functions entailed by a large catering concern, others seem more likely to have functioned as sitting or smoking rooms set aside to accommodate the finer gradations of military rank. The perimeter wall forming the west side of the kitchen yard follows the standard pattern, with a cement weathering in place of a coping. The small range built against the wall has a felted roof and probably comprised coal sheds and privies. <1> April 2012. Grade II* listed. Plan: ‘J’-shaped plan formed from three principal ranges enclosing a small central yard. Exterior: The north range, of seven bays aligned east-west, formed the dining hall. Internally buttressed, it has 16-light casement windows with upper pivotal lights and a simple king-post roof with raking shores and five pairs of purlins. The main entrance is at the west end. The east end the hall is adjoined by a four bay range aligned north-south which housed the kitchens, it has the same roof structure and a louvred opening in the roof. Attached at the south end of the kitchens is a three bay range heading westwards comprising stores, perhaps a sitting room and WC’s. Further lean-tos to the west have additional W.C’s and storage facilities. Interior: A number of doors and much joinery remains. The furniture of one earth closet survives. <2> The building is depicted on the 3rd edition OS map. <3>