The former Spitfire Club, RAF Tangmere

The former Spitfire Club, RAF Tangmere

This former airmen's institute and chapel, built around 1920 for RAF Tangmere, has been converted to apartments in the late 20th century. It is constructed of red brick in English bond beneath a slate-tiled roof.

The building is arranged on a Palladian villa plan facing south, with a central two-storey block flanked by single-storey projecting pavilion wings. The right-hand (eastern) pavilion extends further east than its counterpart. Behind the centrepiece, two rectangular ranges run east to west and are connected at their eastern ends by a north-south range, which is predominantly two storeys.

The principal elevation is largely symmetrical across twelve bays (1:5:1:5). The outer bays project forward, formed by the pavilions, each with a single window except on the eastern side where the pavilion extends for a further five set-back bays of regular fenestration. The ground floor of the centrepiece features round-headed openings under brick arches across five bays, with multi-paned entrance doors at either end (the eastern door now uPVC) and a single window to the three central bays. The first floor has regular, flat-headed windows in each bay, those at the outer ends being narrower. Brick pilasters frame the centrepiece. High-set round windows appear on the side elevations. The rear elevation is mostly concealed but has regular cross casement windows at first-floor level.

The west elevation of the western pavilion and adjacent rear range feature a tripartite window with narrow outliers, with regular fenestration on their north and south elevations. The northernmost range has a single three-over-three sash window to its west elevation and regular sash windows interspersed with late-20th-century entrance doors on the north elevation, along with a late-20th-century timber gate towards the centre. The eastern end is formed by the northern end of the north-south range, symmetrically composed with two six-over-six sash windows with stone cills on each storey.

The principal (eastern) elevation of the north-south range is more domestic in character, with two chimney stacks rising through the hipped roof. All window openings have stone cills: the ground floor has narrow four-over-four sash windows and the first floor has larger six-over-six sash windows. A late-20th-century entrance door is centrally located beneath a lean-to porch. The southern end steps down to single storey at its junction with the rear of the centrepiece. The rear elevation features regular six-over-six sash windows at ground floor and a single larger six-over-six sash window at first-floor level, where a central nine-paned circular window is also present. The rear of the eastern pavilion has regular cross casements and a projecting porch with a scalloped parapet.

Throughout the building, fenestration consists of multi-paned cross casements or sash windows. The roofs have overhanging eaves and are hipped; the centrepiece and western pavilion are topped by vented gablets.

The interior has not been inspected.