Watersports Hangar (Calshot Former Rnas Station Circa 250 Metres West Of Castle)

This list entry was subject to a Minor Amendment on 29/11/2011

SU 40SE 13/31

FAWLEY CALSHOT Canoe Hangar (Calshot former RNAS Station c160 metres west of Castle

GV II

The grade shall be amended to II*

The entry shall be amended to read:-

SU 40 SE FAWLEY CALSHOT 1860-/13/31 Watersports Hangar (Calshot former RNAS 08/04/88 Station c250 metres west of Castle) GV II*

Watersports hangar, former flying boat hangar. 1914 or possibly earlier. Timber-framed, with corrugated metal cladding and pitched and felted wooden roof. 10 bay rectangular plan, covering area of approx 720 square metres. Sliding wooden doors to west, those to east having an unusual surviving set of wooden "roll-up" wooden slat doors. Single storey outshut to north. Range of 5 lights to south. Interior: wooden lattice braced "bowstring" roof trusses. Historical Note: A unique surviving example of this type of hangar, later hangars of the WW1 period having 100ft spans rather than 80ft span of this important early example, the earliest known example of its type: it was probably built to accommodate the modestly-sized Sopwith Bat Boat, used at Calshot from 1913. Part of an outstanding group of 1914-18 aircraft hangars which illustrate the development of aircraft technology during the World War 1 period: see Main Hangar (qv). Its design is said to be associated with Barnes Wallis, although there is no firm evidence for this: Wallis was employed on airship design work by Vickers Ltd before WW1. Associated with the famous Schneider Trophy seaplane contests held at Calshot in 1929 and 1931.

Listing NGR: SU4551803243