Menu
Under Restoration
Avro Anson C.19 VM325, taken at RAF Upavon circa 1960.
This picture is © Dave Welch Collection and has been used with permission
Carew Cheriton Control Tower museum came into possession of Avro Anson VM325 in August 2005. After deteriorating for many long years outdoors VM325 is now inside the Control Tower hanger where a sympathetic restoration has begun to restore this aircraft into a static museum display.
The Avro Anson is a British built twin-engined aircraft built by Avro, originating from the Avro 652 which first flew on 7th January 1935.
The Anson had an extremely long service life with 10,966 built in the UK and remained in RAF service between March 1936 until 1968.
Initially developed for costal reconnaissance and later used for navigational training, radio training and transportation.
Source: BAE Systems Heritage
Avro Anson Mk I, photograph by Geoff Mckay. Used under CC BY.
The whitewash was painstakingly chipped and scrapped off by hand to avoid damage. Small shards of paint were found which allowed us to colour match the original paint scheme.
Engines: Two 420hp Armstrong & Siddeley Cheetah Radial
Wingspan: 56 ft 6 in [17.22 m]
Weight: 10,500 lbs [4763 kg]
Range: 660 miles [1062 km] (typically)
Avro Anson Armstron Siddeley Cheetah Engine on display at Carew Cheriton Control Tower Museum.
Restored by Rolls Royce Heritage division Coventry.
The control tower at former R.A.F. Carew Cheriton or to use the correct British terminology watch office has not been constructed to a set pattern. It is referred to in articles on the subject as being built to a “local design”. Heaps, a local building firm from the nearby seaside resort of Tenby were awarded the contract to build the control tower during 1941, the exact date is not known.
The current structure was built to replace the original watch office, which was situated 50 metres to the west on the opposite side of the taxiway. The brick and concrete base of the original building can still be seen today standing over a metre above ground level. Standing on this concrete base one can see the outlined of the timber structure that formed the watch office. The structure was the wheelhouse that came from the ship “Montrose” remembered for its connection with Dr. Crippen and the radio message from the ship that sealed his fate. On the 1945 plan of the airfield this building with the reference number 64 is listed as the “duty crew room”.
The replacement structure has a number of notable features worthy of mention:
The building is constructed from local clay bricks with solid external walls 16″ (400mm) thick. Internally the main central wall is of the same thickness together with the dividing walls on the right of the corridor. These walls in turn support the solid concrete flat roof and observation room. The remaining internal walls are single brick 4″ (100mm) thick. The 6″ (150mm) solid concrete roof is cover with a layer of asphalt. Windows are of steel construction manufactured by Crittal, and are a mixture of casement and top hung styles.
Access to the building is via a FLB door on the eastern elevation, which is, protected by two tapered blast walls. On entering the central corridor toilets, flag store and met. Office 2.97m x 1.93m are off to the left. To the right the first door leads into the map and visiting pilot’s room 3.66m x 2.44m. The second door accesses the control room 7.34m x 3.66m. To the left on entering this room the pyrotechnic store with its steel doors can be seen. Two steps elevate the bay window. To the right a door leads into the duty officer’s rest room 1.85m x 3.00m.
At the end of the corridor a vertical steel ladder gives access to the observation room 3.0m x 3.0m. From this room an under sized door gives access onto the roof. The external steel staircase is not original and is an addition to comply with building regulations and was installed during the renovation project.
The external single brick 4″ (100mm) lean to generator (switch room) 3.56m x 2.44m is attached on the western side and accessed via a FLB door.
All floors are solid concrete with a screed finish. Water, electric and foul drainage have been re-connected to the building and heating is by means of electric tube heaters.