Manby

[CDP]

Had some slight heart palpitations yesterday at Manby after glancing at a planning application notice strapped to a lamp post. We thought it referred to the Sergent's Mess and Accommodation Block but after looking at the photo I took rather more closely today, it seems that there are proposals to turn the old tennis courts into a "youth area".



Despite the rest of the site being in good condition, the aforementioned Mess & Accommodation is starting to look a bit long in the tooth!



Chris

[CDP]

Hi Peter - the rest of this site is in very good condition and most of the former airfield buildings are now in use as part of the Manby Business Park. I have no idea why this one has slipped through. Looking at it, there is nothing structurally wrong with it and it is listed, although I don't know which grade of listing it has.

The hangars are in superb condition and the pre-war tower is now the home of Manby Motorplex.

Chris

[REF]

A few photos from 29 May 2008












The last photo looks interesting as it looks like it was the wartime stores, with the fabric store in the centre but now converted into something else.

[REF]

@ Jason

Airfield site is Manby Motorplex and permission is needed.

The rest of the site is a Business Park.

It is a lovely site to look at, we got there late and I could have done with more time there but we photographed most of the site I think!

@ Peter

I don't know what the future is for the "New" Tower, this airfield site is one of these proposed eco-towns. The site is well looked after on the whole.

[REF]

Can anyone help ID these two buildings.

Building 1.

Location;
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.36056 ... =0&src=msl


Building 2.


Location;
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=53.36126 ... =0&src=msl

Thanks

[MandatorV8]

Richard:

The wooden hut is original and is but one of what were many wooden huts located on the 'block' that sits between the rear of the barrack blocks and the two rearmost hangars. I photographed all these in 1980 and your hut was there then, although I seem to have photographed it from the opposite side only. Unfortunately, I do not know what the original use(s) of the hut were. I would post some pictures but this Photobucket thing is a bit too complicated for me!

From my photos I can see that some of the other huts were used for a number of recreational purposes, including the Model Engineering Club and the Wives Club. One part of one of the huts was the Roman Catholic Church, The Church of Our Lady of St Brendan. A number of these huts were dismantled in the early 1980s by the Lincolnshire Aviation Society and relocated to East Kirkby when the LAS was involved with the Panton Bros. The LAS has since moved away but the Panton Bros have retained the wooden huts as part of the Lincolnshire Aviation Hertitage Centre. These huts are now the 'NAAFI' and entrance building and the display buildings to the rear of the Centre's compound. Thanks to the LAS, these pre-war wooden huts from Manby have survived into preservation today.

As for the second building, I photographed that also in 1980, but again I am not sure of the building's original purpose. I photographed it next in 1998 when it was named 'Wellington House'. At that time it housed the administrative HQ of a number of the region's Internal Drainage Boards, which I suspect are still located there today. Unfortunately I do not have a Manby site plan to refer to. From your photograph I think I can make out a sign still above the front entrance, so I presume that it is still known as Wellington House.

Hope that helps.

[Stevo]

The second building is The Station Sick Quarters, drawing number 1963/34 it's on page 112 of the book British Airfield buildings Volume 2 if anyone has it.

Stevo

[REF]

Thanks for all your help guys, I am pleased to hear the LAS have had a hand in preserving some old buildings.

I have a copy of the book you mentioned Stevo and must have completely overlooked the SSQ!!

Mandator, give the photobucket a go, it is fairly easy and just trial and error really. It would be good to see some of the photos you mentioned.

[MandatorV8]

Richard: Because you have asked so nicely, I have tried to get to grips with this Photobucket thing. It has taken a while, but I hope this works:

First shot shows an early attempt at blast/splinter protection using sections of an (Anderson) air raid shelter:




Second shot has Tedder Hall in background:




In third shot, the far hut is Building No 103:




In fourth shot see how sloping ground was accommodated:





Hopefully this new fangled computery will work!

[REF]

Thank you for putting the photos up, I said the trial and error thing would work!

Really great to see them in situ as well, no doubt I'll be up for the next hour trying to work out where they are in relation the the one I have photographed!

The blast shelter bits on the side of the hut look very odd don't they, but I guess it must have worked. Odd how it is only done on one of the huts as well.

Thanks again for posting them up.