Aircraft hangar, now a storage depot. 1916, with minor mid C20 alterations. (1)

Built 1916, notable for Belfast Truss roof. The Belfast Truss was developed in the late C19 as a way of achieving a maximum span using available resources, primarily timber and felt. It was quickly adopted by the military during World War I. In 1927/28 a range of technical buildings to the north of the hangars, these included an armoury, workshop, photographic block and guardhouse. Much of the works undertaken at Hucknall between the Rolls Royce and the RAF was secret both during and after the war years but included. The development of the world-renowned Merlin engine. The world’s first piloted vertical take-off jet powered aircraft, known as the Flying Bedstead. The development of the world’s first turboprop engine. The world’s first flight of a commercial jet-airliner. Development of the world’s first reverse thrust jet engine.The airfield closed in 1971, but engines continued to be tested as the adjacent Rolls Royce site until 2008. The grade II listed hangars fell out of aviation use becoming vehicle workshops and later warehouses. (2)

Hucknall, Watnall Road, (south east side) Hangars 1 & 2 at K & M Hauliers. Listed Building Grade II. Aircraft hangar, now a storage depot. 1916, with minor mid C20 alterations. Brick, rendered, with segmental arched timber Belfast truss roofs. Side walls buttressed. Windows are metal glazing bar casements.Rectangular plan. 15 bays long by two 100 ft. spans wide. Each side has single storey lean-to service building. To north, 6 C20 casements and 2 doors. Single side wall stack. To south, 4 similar casements and 2 doors. Above, each side has 13 similar casements and 2 doors. Above, each side has 13 casements. Each end has multiple metal clad full width sliding doors flanked by single 2 bay arcades with corbelled segmental doors flanked by single 2 bay arcades with corbelled arches into which doors
retract. Above, roof ends have each a louvred opening. Felted roof has full length gabled clerestory. Interior has central arcade, 13 bays, with segmental arches and corbelled piers. Each side has 5 segmental arched blocked openings and 2 doors. Laminated wood lattice braced roof trusses with gusseted struts at abutments. 3 braced spine beams. Diagonal boarded covering on longitudinal stringers. This building incorporates a novel form of construction devised to allow a large clear span to accommodate aircraft. (3)

The hangar was built for a World War One Training Depot Station , which opened in 1918. (4)

Construction of the Training Depot Station took place between 1916 and 1918. Bill Bageley notes in his Airfield review article that in 1991 the hangars were under threat of demolition. (5)

Listed Buildings Slides, (Photograph). SNT2648.

Historic England, 2021, National Record of Historic Environment (Digital archive). SNT5271.

<1> DOE, Listed Building Description (Published document). SNT228.

<2> Ashfield District Council, 2016, Summary of Heritage Assets: Former RAF Hucknall Airfield, Watnall Road, Hucknall (Unpublished document). SNT5255.

<3> DOE, 1988, Listed Buildings - Dist of Ashfield (Published document). SNT6139.

<4> English Heritage, 2003, Survey of Military Aviation Sites and Structures Summary Report (Unpublished document). SNT6317.

<5> Airfield Research Group, 1992, Airfield Review, p. 1, 23, 25-26 (Serial). SNT6320.