RAF Stations' married quarters buildings

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Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 701

Hi all,

I am doing some research for my website. At Biggin Hill there are some 1930's married quarters on a road called Vincent Square. I have always thought these buildings were unique, a one off, and not to be seen anywhere else. Whilst surfing the net the other day I came across a picture of the married quarters at RAF Uxbridge. Low and behold they are same design. It turns out it was a standard design in a lot of RAF Stations. I have attached a link to the web page on my site and need YOUR help to locate any other examples of these buildings around the UK. If you know of any, and can supply me with a photo, and are happy for me to add your picture to my website (acknowledged to you of course) then please let me know.

Thank you in advance.

http://www.bigginhill-history.co.uk/vincentsqr2.htm

Tony Lewis.

Original post

Member for

13 years

Posts: 228

Can't remember but the RAF Henlow ones may be similar?

Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 701

Can't remember but the RAF Henlow ones may be similar?

I'll Google Earth it and have a look. Thanks.

Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 701

Can't remember but the RAF Henlow ones may be similar?

They do look very similar from the air, and there are LOADS of them. Good find, well done Rob. Have to try and find a ground level view now.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 16,832

This is almost certainly the famous 'expansion period' airfield architecture.

'Ramsey McDonald, as Prime Minister, had instructed that the Royal Fine Arts Commission to be involved in airfield design, and that a process of consultation with the Air Ministry was initiated with visits by commissioners - three distinguished architects (Sir Edwin Lutyens, Sir Reginald Blomfield and Giles Gilbert Scott) and the planning authority Professor S D Adshead - to Upper Heyford and Abingdon in 193 1. This resulted in the creation of the new post of architectural advisor to the Director of Works and Buildings, first occupied by A Bulloch in 1934, with many of the early (1934-35) building designs being specifically approved by the commissioners; afterwards, liaison over layout and other matters was personally handled by Lutyens. The buildings erected for much of the 1930s Expansion Period were, as a consequence, more carefully proportioned than their predecessors, a clear distinction being made between neo-Georgian for domestic buildings and more modern styles for technical buildings'

Moggy

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15 years 1 month

Posts: 479

Tony at BH,

Looks as though there are some in Tutor Road, Leuchars, although some appear to have been modernized.

Member for

15 years 8 months

Posts: 701

Tony at BH,

Looks as though there are some in Tutor Road, Leuchars, although some appear to have been modernized.

Oh they are beauties aren't they? Nice find and Google Street view works there as well. Thanks David.

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19 years 5 months

Posts: 9,821

When I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters in the late 80s, I lived in singe officer's quarters that were supposedly the former married quarters at RAF Martlesham Heath. In the book, Airfields of the Eighth -Then and Now, they're clearly visable on a Luftwaffe target map. I'm sure they had been upgraded over the years, but the basic layout remained unchanged. They had two bedroom upstairs, a large living room and a small kitchen. Only one bath on the ground floor, which I thought was odd. Not that there was one bath, but it being so far from the bedrooms. My girlfriend (now wife) had a new semi-detached that was basically similar in layout, but her bath was upstairs. I believe they're still there , probably private homes now after Bentwaters closed.

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15 years 8 months

Posts: 701

Thanks J Boyle. I've looked at Google and cannot see anything like I'm looking for, All looks more recent buildings. Thanks for your comments though.

Member for

24 years 2 months

Posts: 1,707

They are lovely little houses. I came very close to buying one in Vincent Sq at Biggin Hill and probably would have done if the gardens were a bit easier to get into (secure motorcycle parking being a requirement!)

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24 years 2 months

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"Little" being the definitive word ;)

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14 years 10 months

Posts: 1,020

We had an AMQ at Hullavington. The door to the living room was directly in line with the front door and they both had a healthy gap at the bottom. We did not run to carpets, but had some mats, and I well remember the mat flapping up and down in the draught under those doors. The floors were polished lino and, when my parents visited us with their little Manchester Terrier, his little feet would skid merrily away and he would get precisely nowhere.

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9 years 9 months

Posts: 14

These are pretty standard pre war NCO MQs. I have seen them at RAF Cranwell, RAF Halton, RAF Manby, RAF Tangmere , RAF Watton and RAF West Raynham.

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20 years 8 months

Posts: 8,505

You'll also find that they conform pretty much to what the local council houses were like, this makes me wonder if the same builders were used for the MQ's and council houses.

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18 years 10 months

Posts: 963

They do look very similar from the air, and there are LOADS of them. Good find, well done Rob. Have to try and find a ground level view now.

As my location suggests, I see these daily and yes they are very similar if not identical!

Member for

13 years

Posts: 520

As my location suggests, I see these daily and yes they are very similar if not identical!

If they're still there, Kenley and West Malling had the same pattern and Kidbrooke might have done but they might just have been similar looking Council Houses.