Angus HER - NO64SW0029 - RM CONDOR, ARBROATH AIRFIELD

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Main Details

Primary ReferenceNO64SW0029
NameRM CONDOR, ARBROATH AIRFIELD
NRHE Card No.NO64SW29
NRHE Numlink 35558
HES SM No. NULL
HES LB No. 4739
Site Form Standing Structure
Site Condition Complete 2
Details Military airfield, now in use by Royal Marines, and associated buildings, including a B-listed Captain's House (NO 41403 43752) and a C-listed control tower (NO 61893 43589). HMS Condor was originally planned as an observer training school when it was built in 1939/40, and commissioned on 19 June 1940. A decoy site was established at Kelly Moor (NO54SE0084). HMS Condor was an air engineer school unit from 1945 until it closed in September 1970. It then became the home of 45 Commando, Royal marines, in 1970, but the airfield continued to be used as a gliding school. Because of the surrounding trees, it is difficult to see much of the aerodrome today. The airfield still retains its two runways. An early Royal Naval Air Service control tower survives to the East of the main technical area. It was built in circa 1940, and is a three-storey, five-bay, rectangular plan, flat-roofed former control tower. It is constructed with a rendered brick shell over a reinforced concrete frame. There is a crash tender garage, with a later roller shutter door, in the South elevation. On the third storey, there is a recessed observation balcony and parapet on three sides. There is a timber-clad roof cabin, railings and moorings for the now removed anemometer mast, cast-iron rainwater goods and later uPVC windows throughout, replacing the original metal casement windows. There is irregular fenestration reflecting the internal plan. Inside, there is are concrete stairs, with a cast-iron banister and hardwood handrail. Within the woodland to the North-West of the airfield is an early-19th century Captain's house, also known as Woodlands House. It is a wide rectangular building, oriented East/West. There is a five-bay, three-storey centre block, with two-storey, single-bay wings to the East and West, and a single-storey wing to the East. The South-facing elevation has a full-height projecting bow front over the centre three bays. The wings all have piended slate roofs, and there are wallhead and ridge stacks. To the East of the house is a farmstead. On the 1st edition OS map it is a shallow U-plan range, oriented North-West/South-East. The North-West wing is extended on the 2nd edition OS map, creating a three-sided range. The building now consists of the original North-West/South-East oriented range, without the wings at each end that had given it a U-plan. The technical area includes many wartime buildings, some now used for other purposes. Aircraft hangars of the T2 (three in a block), Bellman, Tee-side 'S' types, Naval aircraft repair shops and a Bain hangar, which is now in use for electrical repairs, all survive in the technical area. There are also accommodation huts, two torpedo attack trainers, naval guard rooms, gym/concert hall with many other buildings within this area. On the North-West side of the technical area is the naval operations block, a low flat roofed concrete and brick building.
Last Update05/05/2023
Updated Bycpalmer
Compiler 
Date of Compilation 

Google Map for NO64SW0029

National Grid Reference: NO 6216 4356



Event Details


Excavations and Surveys


Artefact and Ecofact

Ecofact

Samples
Palynology
Ecofact Notes

Monument Types

Monument Type 1Monument Type 2Monument Type 3OrderProbability
CONTROL-TOWERSRECTANGULAR G100
HUTS  H100
RUNWAYS  I100
SCHOOLSOBSERVER B100
SCHOOLSAIR-ENGINEERING C100
AIRFIELDSDECOYREMAINS OFD100
SCHOOLSGLIDING E100
HANGARS  F100
AIRFIELDSMILITARYDISUSEDA100
SCHOOLSTRAINING J100
ROOFS FLATK100
BALCONIES RECESSEDL100
PARAPETS  M100
RAILINGS  N100
MASTS SITE OFO100
STAIRCASES CONCRETEP100
BALUSTERSCAST-IRON Q100
HANDRAILS WOODENR100
HOUSESRECTANGULAR S100
BOWS  T100
ROOFSSLATEPIENDEDU100
STACKSWALLHEAD V100
STACKSRIDGE W100
FARMSTEADS  X100