A modest timber airfield hut has been repaired by volunteers to form the welcoming entrance to Britain’s first operational military air-station museum.
Quick facts
- Date
- In use by 1915; restored 2009–2012
- Architect / designer
- Military design; original designer not securely identified; restored by museum volunteers
- Type
- Single-storey timber former guard or mechanised-transport hut
- Designation
- Listed building, Category C (LB38231)
- OS grid reference
- NO 71821 59436
Architecture and continuing use
The low rectangular building is timber framed and gabled, with a simple felted roof and metal-framed windows. Its plain construction contrasts with later steel hangars and the large pioneering aircraft sheds nearby.
Its story
The building was in use by 1915, probably as a guard room, and later became known to the museum as the MT Hut. After deterioration following the air station’s closure, volunteers restored it from 2009 and reopened it in 2012.
Why it is included
Its reuse makes an easily overlooked support building the starting point for understanding the people, routines and surviving structures of the air station.
What to notice
- The small scale and timber construction beside much larger aviation buildings.
- Simple gabled form shaped by utility rather than display.
- How modern reception use has been inserted while retaining the hut’s external character.
Reading the surroundings
Enter through the museum during current opening hours and admission arrangements. Follow volunteer guidance; weather warnings can cause temporary closure.
Timeline
- In use by 1915 The building was in use by 1915, probably as a guard room, and later became known to the museum as the MT Hut.
- Present Reception, shop and 1940s display room for Montrose Air Station Museum.
What we know — and what remains uncertain
Historic records describe the building as a probable guard room, while the museum calls it the Mechanised Transport Hut; both names refer to the listed Building 142.
Sources & further reading
- Historic Environment Scotland: Montrose Air Station Building 142, LB38231 — Designation category, mapped location, construction phases, fabric, authorship and architectural interest.
- Montrose Air Station Museum: buildings and exhibits — Current use of the listed hut as reception, shop and display space, plus its restoration history.
- Montrose Air Station Museum: visit — Current opening, admission, charity status and visitor arrangements.
Location
OS grid reference NO 71821 59436 · Location confidence: High: the HES designation supplies a mapped National Grid Reference and a current operator, council, congregation or institutional source confirms the Place relationship and present identity. · Select the marker to open its satellite view in Google Maps. On desktop, drag Pegman (the yellow figure) onto a blue road. On mobile, turn on the Street View layer and tap a blue road. Other photo markers may be user-contributed.
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