Description

Circa 1940 (opened 1941). 3-storey with flat roof; square-plan disused Second World War control tower of standard Royal Naval Air Station design with cantilevered balcony. Brick and cellular concrete with concrete cills. Light railings to balcony and rooftop.

S (ENTRANCE) ELEVATION: broad door to centre ground flanked by narrow vertical windows with further similar window to outer right; 1st floor with window to centre, 2 smaller windows to left, tall narrow stair window to right and tiny window to outer right; further windows to centre and left bays at 2nd floor.

E ELEVATION: variously-sized asymmetrically-disposed openings to each floor; 2nd floor with cantilevered balcony wrapping around angle to right and access ladder to roof at left.

W ELEVATION: ground floor with 2 windows to centre and right; 1st floor with 3 windows to centre and right, and narrow vertical window to left with tiny window beyond; 2nd floor with broad door to left and balcony wrapping around angle, single window to right.

Some metal-framed casement windows remain.

INTERIOR: ground floor only seen 2002. Small rooms with brick divisions and concrete staircase.

Statement of Interest

Although the total of Britain's airfields increased form 158 to 740 during the Second World War, virtually intact examples of this standard late war type of control tower built also at (amongst other airfields) Heathrow and Dumfries are few. Findo Gask was a '25 SLG grass satellite aerodrome' comprising ancillary structures such as Battle HQ and machine-gun range. Intended for use by 44 MU Edzell, the field was taken over by 309

Squadron (owing to its close proximity to Polish army camps) and was opened on 14th June, 1941. On 25th November, 1942 the squadron moved its headquarters to the site. Flying Training Command took over Findo Gask on 12th July, 1943 by which time The Empire Training Scheme had established 153 Schools in the UK. Subsequently becoming a satellite for Errol, the airfield closed on 12th September, 1944 with the buildings being utilised for storage by the Polish Army until 1948. Many years later AST Perth used the field for practice forced landings.

Now (2002) only the control tower remains in anything like its original form. A nearby T2 hangar was re-clad and renovated by 1981, and a single (altered) Nissen-type hut remains together with some areas of concrete runway. Further examples of listed Second World War control towers are at East Fortune Airfield, East Lothian and Fearn Royal Naval Air Station, Highland.

External Links

• Historic Environment Scotland Listing
• Wikidata Q77777317

External links are from the relevant listing authority and, where applicable, Wikidata. Wikidata IDs may be related buildings as well as this specific building. If you want to add or update a link, you will need to do so by editing the Wikidata entry.

Recommended Books

• 
  [(Shropshire)] [By (author) Nikolaus Pevsner] published on (January, 1958)
• 
  Old House Handbook: A Practical Guide to Care and Repair
• 
  Sussex: West (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)
• 
  Georgian Style and Design for Contemporary Living
• 
  Cork: City and County (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of Ireland)
• 
  Cumbria: Cumberland, Westmorland and Furness (Pevsner Architectural Guides: Buildings of England)