Site of First World War women's hostel, Stow Maries Aerodrome, Cold Norton (EHER 81749)

Now destroyed. The site of one of a series of blocks which are identified in the 1918 RAF survey as the women's hostel (see EHER 81750-81754), and are set well away from technical buildings. This building may have provided ancillary functionality to the women's accommodation blocks (EHER 81750, EHER 81752 and EHER 81754).

1997. RCHME field survey. The site of one of a series of blocks which are identified in the 1918 RAF survey as the women's hostel (see EHER 81750-81754), and are set well away from the men's huts (EHER 81758 and EHER 81759) and technical buildings on the site. Scant evidence for internal divisions survives, but where it does it suggests rooms which were a little smaller than those in the officers' quarters (EHER 81756). EHER 81750, EHER 81752 and EHER 81754 appear to have been intended as accommodation blocks, built around a courtyard on the east side. Whilst this building, EHER 81751 and EHER 81753 are more various in size and suggest a range of different functions within the hostel. The survey plan indicates this building had not been completely constructed in 1919. <1> Notes from A. Doyle amended to <1> describe that 'although given as a women's hostel, an elderly local resident has confirmed that, when working on the site as a cook, she and others were collected daily from their homes (in her case Woodham Ferrers). Apparently the 'serving' women did not stay on site overnight. [EHER 81749-81751] were unfinished by December 1918, whilst [EHER 81752-81754] were used by the 'Works and Bricks' department employed in building up the site. EHER 81754 was used to house the steam roller necessary to restore the flying area 'rutting' to smoothness. The building is depicted on the 3rd edition OS map.<2> When the RAF survey was carried out in October 1918, the station personnel totalled 219. Amongst that number were three members of the Women's Royal Air Force (WRAF), who had separate lodgings on the station (EHER 81749-81754) and 12 civilian women who came in on a daily basis to undertake the various domestic duties on the site. <3>