Former Combat Support Building (Building 273), Greenham Common

This is a hardened combat support building, constructed around 1984-5 and subsequently modified. It is located in the technical area, south of the former runway of the Greenham Common airfield, close to the Wing Headquarters Building (Building 274), which served as the airbase command centre in the 1980s and with which it had a functional relationship.

The building is a single-storey, flat-roofed rectangular structure, with its long axis oriented east-west. A courtyard enclosed by high blast walls at the south-east corner protects the two entrances: a main entrance on the south elevation and a sliding door on the east elevation. Access to the courtyard is via dog-leg entrances to the west and east.

The exterior is largely plain, with a slightly projecting eaves band. The main entrance on the south elevation is a deep, solid, steel blast-proof door with external hinges. The east elevation features a similarly thick steel sliding door on external runners. A solid steel escape hatch with external hinges is located on the north elevation. Within the courtyard, on the south elevation to the east of the main entrance, are faded remnants of white stencilled instructions within an orange painted border, titled ‘Clearing Procedures’, which appear to relate to weapons handling. The courtyard floor is a concrete hard-standing of large pre-cast slabs. Two air vents are located on the roof in the south-east corner. Modern additions such as external air cooling fans, security cameras, cabling, and downpipes are not of special interest.

Inside, to the west of the entrance is an inserted modern reception area/office with a part-glazed wall, which is not considered to be of special interest. Within this reception area, against the south wall, is a rectangular brick construction, believed to be original, resembling a cooking or heating facility. Steel-shuttered 'windows' are set into the west wall of the original building, running through both the reception area and the boardroom to the north. These are not true windows as they do not extend through the wall to the exterior. A solid steel escape hatch is located on the north elevation.

An internal north-south wall divides the building into two, with data storage areas to the east. This eastern area was not inspected but is understood to contain an old plant room with original ceiling-hung air circulation equipment.