Two Former Hangars On North Side Of Former Airfield

These are two former aircraft hangars located on the north side of a former airfield, built in 1916. They are timber-framed structures clad in corrugated iron, with tarred roofing felt covering their curved and boarded roofs. Each hangar has a rectangular shape, featuring full-width doors at the gable ends and roofs that span 80 feet. Lean-to extensions on the north sides include an office, store, dressing room, and heating chamber. The south side of each hangar has small paned iron windows, with eight in the western hangar and seven in the eastern hangar. The iron door gantries and corrugated iron doors were added during a refurbishment in 1936.

Inside, the hangars retain their original roof structures. The 80-foot span is achieved using laminated timber trusses that have a polygonal upper chord and a main tie-beam, which relies on a combination of vertical iron tie rods for tension and timber diagonal compression struts. The upper chord is formed from eight lengths of timber, each made from three 8-inch by 2-inch pieces laminated together and connected with "Y"-shaped steel plates. Longitudinal beams provide lateral stiffness and resistance to movement. Laminated wall posts, spaced ten feet apart, support each truss and are arranged in 17 bays.

Historically, the timber-framed doors originally opened fully into cross-braced timber gantries on either side of the end elevations. The wall cladding could have been made from felted timber, corrugated iron, or cement-rendered "Hy-Rib" expanded metal sheeting.

Yatesbury airfield opened in November 1916 as a Training Depot Station, featuring two separate aerodromes to accommodate two Royal Flying Corps reserve squadrons for pilot training. These hangars are a unique survival from a First World War RFC airfield, including servicing and accommodation facilities.