3 Aircraft Hangars To Former Sundridge Aerodrome At Coombe Bank Farm

TQ 4855 SUNDRIDGE CHEVENING ROAD

32/2002 3 Aircraft Hangars to former Sundridge Aerodrome at Coombe Bank Farm

• II

Aircraft hangars, in use for sheep raising at time of survey. c.1910. Built for manufacturing aeroplanes by Polish Prince de Bolotoff who built aeroplanes there before the 1914-18 war. Timber framed, the roofs and walls covered in corrugated iron sheeting, 3 gabled and open fronted hangars. Roofs are of kingpost type construction with 5 posts to each gable held by iron clamps. Each hangar is of 6 bays with square upright posts on padstones. Wall frame has diagonal tension braces to rear and continuous window. Adjoining to the south is a concrete structure of 2 bays wide and 9 bays long, not of special interest, probably added c.1927 when the complex became a garage for West Kent Motor Services. During the Second World War the hangars were used as an RAF recovery unit for crashed aircraft. Included because pre 1914-18 aircraft hangars are very rare, probably only about 15 surviving nationwide. (See Sevenoaks Chronicle article of 1 May 1982).

Listing NGR: TQ4849655819