Raf Rougham: Radar Building

This is a seven-bay radar building constructed in 1942/43 as part of RAF Rougham, a temporary military airfield built between 1941 and 1942, initially an RAF night-fighter station and subsequently used by the USAAF. The building is constructed of rendered brick with projecting steel columns on all elevations. It has crittall casement windows throughout and a gable roof covered with contemporary corrugated material, possibly asbestos. The facade features central double doors, which have been replaced, and a projecting switch gear store with louvred doors attached to the South-East corner. One doorway on the North elevation has been blocked, and some necessary rebuilding occurred at the North-West corner during a restoration.

The interior retains its original plan-form. The main room, located to the East, likely housed the radar equipment. Two smaller central rooms are present; one contains a contemporary safe with an armoured door and concrete shelving above, along with some remnants of graffiti on the walls. The other served as the former radio room and contains radio equipment believed to be from other airbases. A room to the West provides a clear view of the former flying field. All door and window openings and frames remain original, and most of the interior doors are original, although a small number have been sourced from other airfield structures of the same date. The roof structure is a complete metal 'A' frame.

RAF Rougham was initially used by the 47th bomb group, then the 322nd and 94th bomb groups. From 1943, B17 Flying Fortresses operated from Rougham, necessitating airfield modifications. After the war, the 94th bomb group remained to carry out leaflet and food distribution throughout Europe, departing in December 1945. The airfield closed in 1948. The radar building was sympathetically restored in 2004. It retains a remarkable degree of original features, including the roof structure, window and door openings, plan-form, and interior features such as the safe and shelving, contributing to its visual and functional group value alongside the contemporary listed control tower.