Full Report for Listed Buildings
The list description is not intended to be a complete inventory of what is listed: it is principally intended to aid identification. By law, the definition of a listed building includes the entire building (i) and any structure or object that is fixed to the said building and ancillary to it and (ii) any other structure or object that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, and was within the curtilage of the building, and ancillary to it, on the date on which said building was first included in the list, or on 1 January 1969, whichever was later.
Summary Description
Reference Number
87517
Building Number
Grade
II
Status
Designated
Date of Designation
22/02/2007
Date of Amendment
Name of Property
Hut Group at Former Dale Airfield
Address
Location
Unitary Authority
Pembrokeshire
Community
Marloes and St. Brides
Town
Locality
Easting
180368
Northing
207286
Street Side
Location
Best approached on lane by Philbeach Farm The block is close to the E end of the main group of surviving domestic buildings on the site.
Description
Broad Class
Defence
Period
History
The Airfield at Dale opened on 1st June 1942 as a satellite station to RAF Talbenny. In September 1943, the station became the base for 794 Squadron RNAS, a target-towing unit. On 1st April 1944 762 Squadron was formed at Dale. In the immediate post-war period, the airfield was used by several training units. Dale closed down on 13th December 1947.
The construction method of this hut group dates it to the period of occupation by the RNAS, and it was built around 1943-44. One of the huts is decorated with barrack room artwork. The majority of the artwork is by Sub-Lieutenant A R Dashfield who was stationed at Dale in 1946-47.
Exterior
The building consists of six "Standard 24 foot" huts connected to each other and to a central ablutions block by corridors. Reinforced concrete posts at roughly 2 metre intervals support concrete roof trusses; the roof covering is corrugated asbestos. Between the posts, the hut walls consist of hollow terracotta blocks.
Interior
One hut to the rear left has 1940s wall paintings. The lively drawings show a large variety of aircraft caricatures getting into humorous scrapes, getting entangled with towing wires, flying upside down etc. Aircraft types include a Miles Messenger, Vought Corsair, an early jet aircraft etc, and views of Dale.
Reason for designation
The only hut group of listable quality on the former airfield; raised above the quality of the others for the special interest of the surviving1940s artwork, a rare survival in a British air base, and amongst the best collections of such artwork outside a museum.
Cadw : Full Report for Listed Buildings [ Records 1 of 1 ]
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