Monument record MDR15788 - RAF communal site (site of), Ashbourne Airfield, Osmaston and Ashbourne

RAF communal site now built upon by the Peak Gateway Caravan Park. This was where social activities amongst the stations personnel would take place, the WAAFs having their own site some distance away. Facilities here included the squash court, ablutions blocks, institute and NAAFI, grocery and barbers shops, ration store, gymnasium and chancel amongst others. The officer's mess is now the camp restaurant and public bar, the gymnasium and chancel survive, as do the squash courts, all of which have been renovated and are currently in use as camp buildings. The commanding officer's quarters are still standing. The northern-most parts of this site have been lost to the A52 (Ashbourne) by-pass and its cutting. Many concrete bases of former buildings, including airmen's dining rooms and the institute and NAAFI survive. One structure often to be found remaining on former communal sites is the standby set house. This was a substantial brick building which housed two emergency diesel or oil fired generators. Should the main electricity supply fail, these would provide an emergency supply for the site. At Ashbourne, the former standby set house can be found at the southern end of the caravan site. (1)