Monument record MBC43705 - Probable Second World War military building, Whaddon

A probable Second World War military building is visible on historic aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the North Buckinghamshire Aerial Investigation and Mapping project (EBC18304). Located on Nash Road in Whaddon village and centred at SP 80422 34318, the building was probably constructed as part of the military accommodation camp constructed behind Whaddon village hall for the increasingly large numbers of service personnel who were working at nearby Special Communications Unit Number 1 (SCU1) at Whaddon Hall and at the ‘Windy Ridge’ transmitter/receiver station near Whaddon Church. The building is about 40 metres aligned WNW-ESE x 6 metres wide with three 5.5 metres wide arms extending 20 metres SSW. To the south, the building is accessed by a curvilinear roadway from Nash Road, with a turning area outside the building, and a 100 metres long linear path heading ESE straight towards the village hall and the main camp buildings. A small 4 x 3 metres building is sited immediately adjacent the NE corner of the main building. Aerial photographs taken in 1962 show the building still intact at that time, but by 1970, the building has been demolished, with only the concrete foundation platforms remaining visible. On aerial photographs taken in 1993, the platforms have been demolished and the land returned to agriculture, with no evidence of the building save for a light soil colour on the site. No evidence of the building or roadway is visible on aerial photographs taken in 2019 (1-9).