Battle Headquarters

The Battle Headquarters, built in 1940, was designed for managing the defenses of the nearby airfield.

The structure features a square, three-storey tower made of likely reinforced brick in English bond, with concrete door lintels, shuttered concrete floors, and a concrete gun mounting on the roof. Below ground, the command post is constructed from brick and concrete, including a prefabricated concrete Stanton air raid shelter supported by carrier walls.

The tower has a parapet roof and steps leading down to the underground command post, which includes a curved, brick-lined tunnel connecting to a rectangular main office from an opening on the south-west side of the tower. There is also a rear corridor leading to a PBX telephone exchange room and steps to a rear entrance.

The tower's entrance is located on the south-east elevation, facing the airfield, and features external lighting cabling above. Each elevation has observation slits on every storey. The roof is topped with a brick parapet and a concrete mounting for a machine gun. The north-east elevation has parts of a cast-iron downpipe attached. Inside, iron ladders provide access to each floor, though the ladder from the ground to the first floor has been removed. Electric cabling and a fuse box are installed at ground-floor level, and tubular steel railings line the steps leading down to the command centre tunnel. The tunnel entrance is covered with concrete, and the brick tunnel was previously rendered. The office in the command post has a bolted, ribbed, concrete panelled roof and walls on carrier walls, complete with lighting, cabling, and other fittings. At the rear, remnants of a timber door lead to the corridor, exchange room, and rear steps, which are brick-lined. Some parts of the command post and tunnel may have been infilled.