Barrack Blocks

1783/0/10001

MANBY, MANBY BUSINESS PARK, Barrack blocks

GV II

Barracks blocks. 1936-7. A Bulloch, architectural advisor to the Air Ministry's Directorate or Works and Buildings (drawing no. 74/35). Cavity brick construction, interlocking tile roof covering to parapetted hipped roofs, brick stacks.

PLAN: All the barracks have an identical plan, each with central entrance hall, flanking NCOs rooms and dormitory ranges and rear wing behind entrance hall with ablutions and toilets. They are arranged as two rows of three, facing E into the former parade ground and W towards the hangars.

EXTERIOR: 3 storeys. All windows are wood sashes, set to flush boxes with brick voussoir heads and concrete sills. Each block has 13-window front elevation with 12-pane sashes except 8-pane to outer bays; central bay has elongated bulls eye window and 4-pane sash above central entrance with panelled double doors and radial fanlight set in semi-circular arch with rusticated quoins. 2-window end returns, casements to rear wings. Channelled rustication to door surrounds; SE and NW blocks have porches; 1990s porch to central block of E-facing range.

INTERIORS: Not inspected, but some sub-division has been made to accommodate current office uses.

HISTORY: These barracks buildings comprise a distinguished designs by the Air Ministry architect A Bulloch, prominently positioned along the west side of the parade ground at this key aviation site. Detailing is restrained throughout, but massing, spacing and proportions are carefully considered, in the neo-Georgian style favoured at this period, and influenced by the impact of the Royal Fine Arts Commission, especially though the architect, Sir Edwin Lutyens. Manby ranks with Hullavington in Wiltshire - another Scheme A station - as the most complete and architecturally unified of the post-1934 stations of the so-called Expansion Period of the RAF. See advice for Tedder Hall for fuller history and account of the importance of Manby airfield.