Fort Halstead: Building F11

The Fort Halstead site is located on a prominent hilltop, which is part of the North Downs, to the north-west of the village of Dunton Green. The site includes both the late C19 Mobilisation Centre ('Fort Halstead’) in the south of the site and a large number of buildings associated with the research facility to the north and north-east of the fort. Building F11 lies within the fort.

EXPERIMENTAL FILLING SHED (BUILDING F11) A two-storey concrete-framed building encased in buff brick laid in English bond. F11 is L-shaped in plan and has a sloping concrete framed roof. Its principal elevation faces east which has an external metal stair leading to a first floor covered walkway. There are two pairs of double doors to the ground floor and two pedestrian doors to the first floor, all with glazed lights. The fenestration comprises metal framed casements. Its rear (west) wall has four further external doors (two to the ground floor and two to the upper floor but now blocked) possibly all emergency exits, plus further metal framed casements. The south elevation has paired replaced casements to both floors. The north elevation is blind. Over-head cable gantries extend north from the building.

The interior was not inspected but it is known from English Heritage’s Research Department report that internally the southern half of the building is occupied by brick-built vertical filling bays (to accommodate rocket casing for the assembly of a 9 foot rocket).