Building and date: a Second World War Air-Raid Precautions (ARP) fire watcher's shelter, which forms part of mandatory ARP facilities provided by Tollerton Aircraft Services for the protection of the firm’s workforce at the airfield. Originally situated inside the main airfield hangar, this ARP fire watcher’s shelter is one of a few structures all (with exception of the fire watcher’s shelter) now demolished. The hangar itself has been demolished leaving the fire watcher's shelter standing in isolation.
Materials and Exterior: The fire watcher's shelter is constructed of red brick on the north and east elevations only. The south elevation is of brick for half of the width, the remaining area is open and forms a doorway. There is an iron handrail indicating that access was from an iron ladder. The west elevation (over offices) is now completely open. There are three ‘loop holes’ one on the south-east corner and two along the front elevation, the north elevation is blind. These have partly been cast in concrete as part of the roof slab, the sides and lower portion of the loop holes are brick. The building appears to have been hurriedly built with little thought for fire safety, being reliant on standard off-the-shelf unprotected and highly flammable floor joists. Despite this, three walls were constructed of heavy
brick and included a roof that was proof against incendiary bombs and a concrete slab floor.
Interior
An open space, the loop holes are positioned three feet from the floor and rise 1 foot, indicating that the watcher would have been sitting at his post.
Selected Sources
Other
Francis, P. 2018 Assessment of a Second World War Hangar Structure at Tollerton Airfield, Rushcliffe,
Nottinghamshire

Air-Raid Precautions (ARP) Fire Watcher's Shelter, Tollerton airfield was first listed in 2012 as a Second World War two-storey pillbox, one of 18 pill boxes positioned to protect the airfield. Recent research has shown that the structure was wrongly identified at the time of listing and should now be assessed as an ARP Fire Watcher's Shelter. It formed part of what were mandatory ARP facilities provided by Tollerton Aircraft Services for the protection of the firm’s workforce. Although it holds some historic interest as part of the protection offered to the workforce, all other ARP structures built as part of this facility have since been demolished so any special historic interest the group may have once had, has now been largely removed. The demolition of the hangar within which the shelter stood has removed the context for which the shelter was designed and has left the west elevation (over the ground and first-floor offices) completely open. The removal of the Trafford tile cladding of the hangar, exposing some supporting steel framework, renders the shelter incomplete. The full building survey provided in support of this application for de-listing, provides
preservation by record and is considered one appropriate way, in this case, for future generations to be able to understand its form and function.

In summary the Air-Raid Precautions (ARP) Fire Watcher's Shelter, at Tollerton airfield, was wrongly identified when first listed in 2012 as a two-storey pillbox. It does not, it is now realised, have the interest of being part of the airfield's pillbox defences. When assessed against criteria for ARP structures it is clear that the loss of contemporary and associated structures means the functional context of the building has been heavily compromised. Although it holds some historic interest as part of the facilities offered to the civilian workforce at the airfield, its isolation and only partial survival means it does not meet the criteria for listing in a national context. This recommendation does not affect the level of protection afforded to the listed airfield pillboxes.


Formerly described as 'Pillbox situated in the right hand corner of a hangar, on a brick base, with three embrasures facing down the length of the hangar. The pillbox is constructed of brick with a concrete roof. The structure is approx 12ft long and 5ft wide. The entrance is 6ft high by 2ft wide. There are 3 embrasures, one in the corner and two in the long side [uncertain as to the exact nature of this site]. (1)
NB 19 pillboxes are recorded at Tollerton airfield'

<1> Sibley D and M, 1996, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1806.

<2> 2016, Historic England Designations Notification Report. (Document). SNT4552.