Building 4 (Heating Plant)

WHITTLESFORD

1767/0/10016 NORTH CAMP, IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM (FORME 01-DEC-05 R RAF DUXFORD) Building 4 (Heating Plant)

GV II Central heating station. 1939. By the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and Buildings. Drawing No. 6217/39. Brickwork in Flemish bond, concrete flat roof, asphalt finish.

PLAN: A neat cube to a square plan, entered from the S through a tall water storage tower, set forward from the main block. To the rear (N) and extended fuel yard with various later buildings.

EXTERIOR: The entrance front has the slender tower, stepped in slightly in two stages at the top to a flush parapet, and reduced in plan size at the rear to form the main stack. A central door with flat concrete canopy and in recessed brick jambs is set below an extended blind brick panel, which is repeated on the sides. The main block has three 2-light steel casements with horizontal bars to sides and rear, at mid height, and one casement to the left of the tower. Finished to a plain concrete coping on a brick soldier course. The wall enclosing the fuel yard is rendered.

INTERIOR: Not inspected.

HISTORY: This is a very effective yet simple design reflecting the influence of the Royal Fine Arts Commission on RAF buildings in the 1930's Expansion Period. It has Art Deco characteristics, and is set on the main axis of North Camp, centred on the parade ground, barracks and Institute (qqv). Duxford represents the finest and best-preserved example of a fighter base representative of the period up to 1945 in Britain, with an exceptionally complete group of First World War technical buildings in addition to technical and domestic buildings typical of both inter-war Expansion Periods of the RAF. It also has important associations with the Battle of Britain and the American fighter support for the Eighth Air Force. For more details of the history of the site see under entry for the Officers' Mess (Building 45).