Standby Generator House

Standby Generator House, Neatishead

This standby generator house dates to the early 1950s and was built to resemble a simple chapel as part of camouflage measures.

The building comprises a rectangular, double-height generator hall with a two-storey offset header tower attached to the south-east, all constructed in brick. The roofs over the hall and tower are steeply pitched and covered with pantiles. The main roof sweeps down to form a catslide over a small porch-like projection on the south corner.

The main entrance elevation faces north-east, with access to the generator hall through tall double doors. Above these doors are two air-tile vents. To the left of the doors is a projecting square-plan brick flue. Attached to the main building and to the left of the flue is a two-storey belfry-like tower with a pair of tall wooden planked doors on the ground floor and a large opening with double doors at first-floor level. The south-east elevation of the generator hall has double wooden doors on the ground floor with a nine-pane Crittall window above. The north-west elevation has two similar Crittall windows at high level. The gable end has two rows of air-tile vents. Further vents in the side walls provide ventilation to the generator hall.

Internally, the lofty generator hall is divided into four bays by massive reinforced concrete beams which support a gantry crane complete with lifting tackle. The roof above is ceiled in at collar level but appears to be of simple coupled rafter construction. Louvered covers survive over most of the air-tile vents, as does the pipe outlet which fed exhaust fumes from the generator into the flue. The generator and transformers have been removed. To the south of the generator house is a rectangular concrete bund enclosed by a low brick wall where the diesel tanks would have been positioned.

RAF Neatishead opened in June 1941 as a Ground Control Intercept (GCI) Station and was retained after the end of the war. In the early 1950s, as part of the Rotor scheme to refurbish Britain's radar defences, the R3 underground operations block was built. On the surface, new protected radar plinths were constructed. In addition to the main technical site, dispersed components were built, including wireless transmitter and receiver stations and a standby generator house spread in an arc at a distance of about 1.6 kilometres from the centre. The standby generator house was built in nearby Neatishead village and designed to resemble a simple chapel when viewed from a distance. It is almost identical to the one at Kelvedon Hatch but is roofed with local pantiles. This is a rare example of an early 1950s Rotor period radar generator building, constructed in chapel style with an attached belfry. This design allowed the building to blend into the countryside and camouflaged its true function.