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The West Berkshire Historic Environment Record (HER) is the primary index of the physical remains of past human activity in the unitary authority of West Berkshire Council. Limited elements of the West Berkshire HER are available online via the Heritage Gateway, therefore it is not suitable for use in desk-based studies associated with development, planning and land-use changes, and does not meet the requirements of paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021: 56). Please read the important guidance on the use of the West Berkshire HER data. For these purposes and all other commercial enquiries, please contact the Archaeology team and complete our online HER enquiry form.


This site is designated as being of national importance and is afforded additional protection. Consult West Berkshire Council's Archaeology team if more information or advice is needed.



HER Number MWB15800
Record Type Building
Name Wing Headquarters Building 274, Greenham Common airbase

Grid Reference SU 494 644
Map Sheet SU46SE
Parish Greenham, West Berkshire
Map:Show location on Streetmap

Summary

Grade II* listed Command Centre for the cruise missile forces at Greenham Common

Associated Legal Designations or Protected Status

  • Listed Building (II*) 1419593: Former Wing Headquarters Building, Greenham Common

Monument Type(s):

Full Description

The Command Centre was built in the early 1980s to control the cruise missile forces at Greenham Common, receiving instructions from higher command to deploy and launch missiles, which it relayed to its mobile forces. Internally the western section of the building is the most significant comprising a battle operations room, a decontamination suite and associated filtration rooms <1>. The building is number 274 of the military air base.

The society Subterranea Britannica paid a visit to RAF Greenham Common in 2000, and were allowed access to the Command Centre, viewing the command room itself, a former telephone room, air plant room and decontamination centre as well as more plant rooms <5>.

The former Wing Headquarters building was listed at Grade II* in 2014, because of its political, historic and architectural interest as well as its group value with the cruise missile shelters and support buildings of the Scheduled GAMA site and also the listed Control Tower and adjacent Combat Support building <8>.

Sources and further reading

<01>Cocroft, W. 2000. Former RAF Greenham Common. [Unpublished document / SWB12876]
<02>RCHME. 1994. Historic Building Report: Greenham Common Airbase, Greenham, Berkshire. NBR No 93234. 2021 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB12267]
<03>English Heritage. 2001. Cold War Monuments: an assessment by the Monuments Protection Programme. 2016 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB147883]
<04>CgMs. 2006. Historic Buildings Record in respect of Former RAF/USAF Greenham Common Base, New Greenham Park, Near Newbury, Berkshire. CgMs Ref IF/JL 4020. 2018 WBC Network. [Unpublished document / SWB14710]
<05>Subterranea Britannica. 1995-2014. Subterranea Britannica. http://www.subbrit.org.uk/. 12/03/2014. RAF Greenham Common. [Website / SWB148628]
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/ (Accessed 12/03/2014)
<06>Schofield, J and Cocroft, W. 2007. A Fearsome Heritage: Diverse Legacies of the Cold War. p129-144 Greenham Common: the conservation and management of a Cold War archetype by V Fiorato. [Monograph / SWB148116]
<07>Cocroft, W and Thomas, R J C. 2003. Cold War - Building for Nuclear Confrontation 1946-1989. p69-70. [Monograph / SWB14711]
<08>Historic England (previously English Heritage). 2011-present. The National Heritage List for England (NHLE). 01/08/2012. 1419593. [Website / SWB12648]
http://www.historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/ (Accessed 06/02/2019)

Related Monuments

MWB6570Greenham Common Airbase (RAF Greenham Common) (Monument)

Associated Excavations and Fieldwork

EWB1121Cold War Monuments: an assessment by the Monuments Protection Programme
EWB884Historic Buildings Record in respect of Former RAF/USAF Greenham Common Base, New Greenham Park (Ref: IF/JL 4020)
EWB858Historic Building Report: Greenham Common Airbase, Greenham, Berkshire (Ref: NBR No 93234)