More information : Former Dining Room and Institute at former RAF Kenley, Salmons Lane West, north side of Kemley Aerodrome, Caterham, Surrey. A Grade II Listed Building. Institute and dining room. 1932 design by the Air Ministry's Directorate of Works and
Buildings. Stretrcher bond brick to cavity walls, concrete floors, slate roof on steel trusses. PLAN: a long narrow principal range in 2 storeys, with short returned wings to the front, facing the former parade ground, and containing the dining rooms for 591
airmen (ground floor) and corporals (first floor), with reading rooms and games areas. Entrance at each end of wings containing large staircase wells. To the rear, mainly on one floor, but with a 2-storey staff accommodation building, are the kitchens, boiler room and general services.Exterior: glazing-bar sashes (boarded) to brick voussiors and stone sub-sills. The
parade ground front is symmetrical, with a recessed 5-bay centre having 12-pane above 16-pane sashes. The short wing returns have a 12-pane sash above a pair of flush
doors to a plain overlight, in stone pilaster surround with cornice. The outer ends of these wings have a closed pediment with small ventilation slit, above a full-height Portland stone panel containing a 16-pane sash above an oculus with square grid, all with moulded surrounds, and to a sill on brackets above plain apron panel; these wings also have a small plinth in stone. The return ends are identical, with a closed-pediment gable above 8/12/8-pane sashes above central doors falnked by small 8-pane sahses, the ground-floor openings with moulded stone architraves and cornice. The nforward projecting wings have a 12-pane sash at first floor, and 4 small lights to the ground floor. The rear wall of this main block has a closed pediment gable near the left-hand end, with a single 12-pane, then eight 12-pane sashes at first floor, above the various service buildings. Eaves are to a flat soffit and moulded cornice or gutter, and the gabled ends have 'rusticated' quoins forced by recessing 1 in every 5 courses. Hipped roofs to all units of rear service range, which comprise 5-bay 2-storey block with central entry to service yard and flanking lower wings. Interior: dog-leg stairs with steel balusters, otherwise no internal detail of note. NGR: TQ 33235 57695. (1)
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