WW II Structures, Adj to 5 Nicholsons Road, Kilkeel, Newry, Co Down, BT34 4JN

Complex of nine Second World War structures adjacent to 5 Nicholson's Road, Kilkeel, which formed the core of Communal Site 1 of the Greencastle Aerodrome.

A) Air raid shelter, aligned north-west to south-east. Single storey rectangular structure built on a concrete base with a flush cast in-situ concrete roof, corrugated to the underside and overhanging at each end where it rests on brick blast walls. All walls are red brick in stretcher bond, laid broadside up to form a double skin with concrete-filled cavity. Entrances are positioned at each end of both principal elevations, each sheltered under the concrete roof and protected by end blast walls. The walls are otherwise blank.

B) Stand-by set house, aligned south-west to north-east. Two storey high square-plan structure with lower abutments to the south-east and north-east elevations. The roof is flat cast in-situ concrete coated in waterproof bitumen material. Permanent red brick walls are laid in English bond and measure 200mm thick. Wall surfaces are broken occasionally by air vents in terracotta or concrete. The south-west elevation has a single vehicle opening, widened and heightened without doors. The south-east elevation is blank. A shallow single storey return abuts the south-west elevation with a single central replacement door; both cheeks are blank. The north-east elevation is blank and abutted by a one-and-a-half storey return with a metal-sheeted timber door set within a larger infilled doorway on its left cheek. The return wall to the north-east features a modern arched opening. The right side is abutted by a blast wall, now a modern toilet with flat concrete roof and sheeted door to the left cheek with timber vent over. The north-west elevation is blank.

C) Blast shelter, aligned north-east to south-west. Low structure approximately 10m by 4m, consisting of four walls with entrances at the middle of front and rear elevations. A modern shallow-pitched corrugated iron roof on a single course of concrete blocks has been added. Constructed on a concrete plinth, the walls are red brick laid in English bond, 1.5m high and 300mm thick. To the centre of both front and rear elevations are projecting walls that frame the entrances and taper to ground level, suggesting the structure may originally have been embanked with earth on all sides. Currently used as an animal byre.

D) Blast shelter, aligned north-east to south-west. Similar to structure C but with only the south-east portion roofed.

E) Blast shelter, aligned north-west to south-east. Similar to structure C but much altered. A corrugated roof has been added, the wall-head raised, and the rear entrance to the south-west blocked up. Doors have been added to the right gable and the whole structure rendered. The interior has been stripped.

F) Squash court, aligned south-west to north-east. Double height single bay structure with pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof featuring semicircular ridge with circular asbestos cement stops. Moulded asbestos cement bargeboards and half-round asbestos rainwater goods are fitted. Permanent red brick walls measuring 200mm thick are cement-rendered with occasional brick buttresses. The south-west gable has three bays and is abutted by a single storey return. The wall above is blank except for a rectangular vent in the gable. The return features a partially collapsed lean-to with corrugated asbestos roof. A sheeted entrance door is positioned centrally and flanked by one-third top opening paned steel casement windows with no cills. The left (north-west) elevation is blank. The rear (north-east) gable is blank except for a vent in the gable. The right (south-east) elevation has a pair of sliding doors inserted.

G) Officer's mess, aligned south-west to north-east. Much altered and extended single storey structure, now ruinous, which may originally have continued further to the south-west. Pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with semicircular ridges and circular asbestos cement stops. Walls are rendered temporary brickwork, 100mm thick, with buttresses. The south-west gable of the surviving portion was originally an internal party wall and now has a large pair of modern corrugated metal doors. The south-east elevation is four bays long with the left two bays advancing beyond and wider than the right two. From left to right: the first bay has a door, the second and third each have a window, and the fourth has a large opening to the ground floor and a small window to the upper right. The north-east gable is abutted at its centre by a rendered brick water tower with flat concrete roof. To its right is a slightly taller brick chimney, and to its left is a lower flat-roofed block. Ruinous foundation remains are visible to the front. The rear elevation (to the north-west) is abutted by a modern concrete block lean-to.

H) Officers' baths. Single storey, eight (uneven) bay structure aligned south-west to north-east. Pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with semicircular ridges and circular asbestos cement stops and no rainwater goods. Temporary red brick walls, 100mm thick, are cement-rendered with buttresses between each bay. The south-west gable has two buttresses and a modern two-paned window to the centre. The south-east elevation has a single two-paned steel casement on each bay with exceptions: bay one to the left has a pair of modern corrugated iron doors to the left of its window; bays two and three each have two windows; the fourth bay has a porch and timber-sheeted door. The north-west elevation also has an assortment of two and three-paned metal windows to each bay, with bay three and seven each having a porch and sheeted door. Bay one is abutted by a modern outbuilding which links it to building J. The north-east gable has three bays and is blank.

I) Sergeants' showers. Single storey, five bay structure (the second bay double the width of the others) aligned north-west to south-east. Pitched corrugated asbestos cement roof with semicircular ridges and circular asbestos cement stops and no rainwater goods. Temporary red brick walls, 100mm thick, are cement-rendered with buttresses between each bay. The north-west gable has three bays with a sheeted door to the right side and three-pane casement to the middle. The south-west elevation, from left to right, comprises: bay one blank; bay two with a two-paned steel casement window to the left and a door (blocked up) to the right; bay three with a two-paned window; bay four with a three-paned window; bay five with a pair of modern corrugated doors. The south-east gable is abutted by the boiler house (J). The north-east elevation has three-pane casement windows to bays one, two and five. Bay three has a two-pane window and bay four has two-pane windows.

J) Boiler house, aligned north-east to south-west. Three storey single bay structure abutting the south-east gable of the sergeants' showers. The roof is flat concrete with cement-rendered permanent brickwork of red brick walls measuring 200mm thick. The north-east elevation is blank and abutted by a chimney which rises above roof level. The south-east elevation is blank. The south-west elevation has a two-over-two top opening window to the ground floor and a large infilled opening to the upper floor. The north-west elevation has a steel casement window at ground floor and a small opening just below the roof. Entry is from within the shower block.