First World War women's hostel, Stow Maries Aerodrome, Cold Norton (EHER 81754)

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. One of a series of blocks which are identified in the 1918 RAF survey as the women's hostel (see EHER 81749-81754), 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). Only fragments of this building survive, but it appears to have been similar to EHER 81750, while the building between these (EHER 81752) is a bay shorter. All three seem to have been intended as accommodation blocks, built around a courtyard on the east side. It was intended to link all three buildings by intervening lengths of wall along the west side, but the wall linking this block with its neighbour, though indicated by toothing, is not shown on the 1922 Ordnance Survey map. The same is true of a wall implied by toothing on the west gable. As with similar walls elsewhere these may never have been built. Buildings EHER 81749, EHER 81751 and EHER 81753 are more various in size than this building, EHER 81750 and EHER 81752, suggesting a range of different functions within the hostel. This building, measuring 15.54 by 6.37 metres on plan externally, is gabled east-west and consists of five bays, as defined by internal buttresses both along the north and south walls and in the corners. The brickwork incorporates a slate damp-proof course, iron strips every four courses and iron ties at intervals. A doorway in the west gable has jambs incorporating a number of clinker bricks suggesting alteration, although the opening appears otherwise to be original and elements of the original plan (discussed below) seem to confirm this. An original doorway in the east gable, where there is now a large inserted opening, cannot be discounted, though other evidence argues against it. All the original internal partitions have been removed, but certain elements of the plan can be deduced from the positions of chimney stacks for former stoves. Two stacks, each serving two stoves apiece, are positioned on the south wall, one pair roughly centrally, the other just within the westernmost bay. The upper part of a third stack, in this case only large enough to have served a single stove, survives above the inserted opening in the east gable immediately north of the ridge, together with toothing for an axial brick partition. Internal rendering has concealed any further evidence for the positions of removed partitions, but the evidence for the five stoves suggests five rooms, occupying roughly a bay apiece, ranged along the south side of the building. The lack of evidence for entrances in the side walls implies that a passage probably extended along the north side of the building. This may have terminated at the easternmost bay, where the fenestration changes from a single standard window per bay to two windows set high in the wall, probably indicating toilet facilities. <1> April 2012. Grade II* listed. Plan: Two rectangular buildings, in line. Exterior: The surviving women’s hostel buildings (two others have been demolished) are located south of the headquarters building, some distance from the officers and men’s accommodation. The complex was originally linked by sections of wall and a small, central yard. This building has five bays and is aligned east-west with a gabled roof and was probably for accommodation. It has a large double door of later date in the west end and 16-light windows to most bays. Two stacks on the south elevation mark the position of stove provision internally, the apertures of which remain. Interior: The lattice trusses to both are similar to that in the reception building and comprise king-posts and tie beams supporting six pairs of cleated purlins. The roof has diagonal boarding. <2> The building is depicted on the 3rd edition OS map.<3> 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. <4>