RAF Wittering: Electrical testing building A08

MATERIALS: The building is constructed of reinforced concrete and brick under an earth mound roof.

PLAN: There is a U-shaped plan with the base of the U facing east and the uprights running west from each end, and internally the room layout is nearly symmetrical.

EXTERIOR: The building has only one elevation, to the east, of one storey terminating at the north and south ends by a projecting sloping screen wall which revets the mound of earth containing the building. There were originally six doors in this elevation, the outer two double timber doors being the entry and exit points under louvered vents, and the two inner single timber doors led into the plant room. Separating each doorway were two two-light steel casement windows, but at Wittering the southern of these centre doors has been blocked with brick, as have all the windows. Rising over the low concrete parapet are two symmetrically-placed extractor fan outlets, the one to the south retaining its louvers.

INTERIOR: Each upright of the `U' contains at the west end the reception and packing and the assembly departments, with the testing and dressing sections to their east. Immediately south of this is a north-south corridor running the length of the building with double doors at intervals, and at the front of the building are the instrument servicing and standards departments, each with two east windows between the double doors. These facilities are exactly duplicated to the north and south. East of the long corridor and lit from the remaining east windows are the records office to the south and a storeroom to the north, separated by an unlit plant room. The internal walls are of stretcher bond brick and each area has high-level ventilation grilles. The front windows remain in situ, protected by internal steel security grilles.