Monument record 1292/1/15 - Deenethorpe Airfield Control Tower

The site of a World War Two control tower, now demolished, at Deenethorpe Airfield. It was probably built in 1943 when the airfield was constructed. It was built to a 1941 pattern for "Watch Office of All Commands", and prior to demolition in 1996 it was thought to have been a unique survival of its type in Northamptonshire. The control tower was a rendered brick building, of two main storeys with a further smaller third observation level. The concrete roof was flat. At first floor level was a balcony with a stair leading up to the roof. On the north-west elevation fronting onto the airfield just below the roof was the legend "Flying Control". After the war the tower was used as part of a Royal Observer Corps site.

{1} Airfield control tower- photo undated. Tower now demolished. Underground ROC Monitoring post (6471/0/1) close by with predecessor post (of uncertain date- presumably post WW2?) on the roof of the control tower. AA notes the tower has been demolished since photographed.
GC note: Airfield Record Site Plan No 1 4227/44 Nov 1944 records the Control tower as building No 2 Drw 12779-41, at SP9606 8988.

{2} The control tower at Deenethorpe Airfield, Northamptonshire was constructed to drawing 12779/41, with small windows to drawing 343/43. It was demolished in 1996. Please note that the NGR given on this website as SP 903 443 appears to be incorrect.

{3} The control tower at Deenethorpe was used after the war as a Royal Obsever Corps post. The source by RA Freeman contains a reproduction of an air photograph taken in 1947, this has been used to approximately locate the control tower for the purposes of this record.

Historic England, Deenethorpe Airfield Control Tower, Benefield, BF034102 (Archive). SNN114678.

<1> Armishaw, A., 2002, Deenethorpe Airfield, (checked) (Photographic prints (COL)). SNN104625.

<2> Truman, R, 2003, Control Towers: Deenethorpe Airfield, accessed 20-JAN-2004 (Website). SNN114677.

<3> Freeman, R.A., 1978, Airfields of the eighth: then and now, p. 66-67 (Book). SNN111557.

Record last edited

Feb 1 2023 10:18AM