Parachute Store at former RAF West Raynham

The Parachute Store at the former RAF West Raynham is a building constructed between 1936 and 1939. It was later used as a Fabric Store and, as of 2022, functions as an industrial unit.

This single-storey building features monolithic poured concrete walls that are 12 inches thick, steel framed windows, and cast iron rain goods throughout. It has a rectangular plan and includes a glazed clerestory above. The north-west elevation displays three 15-pane steel casement windows, with clerestory lighting provided by six-pane open-lights in horizontal steel casements. The south-east elevation is blind, and the entrance is located at the south-west end, marked by a small concrete porch and a steel outer door with a timber inner door.

Internally, the building measures 21 feet wide and 48 feet long, with a height of 10 feet at the lower level and 16 feet at the clerestory. A small lobby at the north-east end, formed by the outer steel door and the inner timber door, helps keep the store dust and moisture-free. The ceiling of the clerestory level has a series of hooks for hanging parachutes, which remain visible despite the installation of a suspended ceiling. A long table runs down the center of the building, used for laying rigging lines and folding parachutes. At the south-west end, there are two storage rooms, likely intended for storing packed and dried parachutes, protecting them from harmful sunlight.