First World War senior non-commanding officers' accommodation, Stow Maries Aerodrome, Cold Norton (EHER 81755)

A brick-built five-bay building which was conjecturally identified as the senior NCOs' (non-commanding officer's) quarters or sergeants' quarters. It comprised five rooms, with the two at each end being slightly larger and the remaining three probably used as bedrooms. The building is not on the 1918 RAF survey and would appear to be an afterthought to the original plan. It was probably converted for domestic use after the First World War and was subsequently used as a scout hut and an informal air museum.

1997. RCHME field survey. Conjecturally identified as the senior NCOs' (non-commanding officer's) quarters or sergeants' quarters, this five-bay building, measuring 15.55 by 4.81 metres on plan, is gabled north-south and stands set apart, to the north of the officers' quarters (EHER 81756). It is built to the same width as the officers' quarters, which contrasts with the more ample width (6.37 metres) of the accommodation blocks in the women's hostel (EHER 81749-81754). The present internal divisions may be secondary. The present internal divisions appear to consist of rooms occupying the full width of the building at either end, with three slightly smaller rooms between them, lit from the west and linked by a passage extending along the east side of the building. The two end rooms each have an external doorway in the gable. Only the south doorway could be examined: here the jambs show evidence of patching, but only a small area is visible where the present coat of pebbledash has deteriorated and the evidence may merely indicate repair rather than insertion. All five rooms appear to have been heated by a mixture of external and internal chimney stacks. The smaller rooms probably served as bedrooms, but at least one of the larger rooms is more likely to have been a sitting room of some description. Some of the rooms retain four-panelled doors with elaborately moulded architraves characteristic of the early 20th century. The building does not appear on the plan accompanying the 1918 RAF survey, while the schedule of accommodation refers to a sergeants' mess and sergeants' latrines, but not to an accommodation block specifically for NCOs. The building would therefore appear to be an afterthought to the original plan. The interior is most likely to represent a domestic conversion following the abandonment of the airfield. Latterly the building was used as a scout hut and as an informal air museum. <1> April 2012. Grade II* listed. Plan: A six bay building, aligned north-south with a gable roof. Exterior: A rendered building with stacks removed at the west, north and south elevations. There are 16-light windows and doors to the north and south, said to have been used for domestic purposes after the war. Interior: No interior inspection. <2> The building is depicted on the 3rd edition OS map. <3>