Storm Isha: Grade II listed Hangar damaged at Old Sarum

Hangar 3 at Old Sarum Airfield collapsed overnight as Storm Isha battered Salisbury with strong winds and heavy rain. 

On Monday, January 22, residents reported the extent of the damage to Laverstock and Ford Parish Council.

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Storm Isha severely damaged Hangar 3 (Image: Contributed)

A planning application for approximately 315 homes, plus a control tower, heritage centre, visitor centre, café/restaurant, parachute centre, aviation archives and aircraft hangars, are currently under consultation for the area. 

Nick Baker, Chair of Laverstock and Ford Parish Council responded to the news broken by members of the Save Old Sarum Airfield Group, he said: "Old Sarum is a living monument to those who served our countries in two world wars as well as an important part of our historical and architectural heritage.

"The Hangar is one of three listed former World War 1 Aircraft Hangars on the site and was first listed with Historic England, in August, 1989. It was placed on the 'At Risk’ register in November 2020 following a partial roof collapse.

Hanger 3 battered by the storm (Image: Contributed)

"The current directors of the airfield have submitted a planning application to develop the airfield, including the building of houses. We know that the outcome of the planning application on this site is unlikely to be finalised this year, and it is clear that action cannot wait until then.

"We call on Wiltshire Council and Historic England to take urgent action to assess the extent of the damage and if necessary enforce the obligations the law places on the owners.”

The owner of Old Sarum's Hangar 2, Roy Guyatt, 59, confirmed that it had escaped damage, unlike Hangar 3. 

He told the Journal: "You can see there is quite a bit of damage, and the owners have not properly maintained it for some time.

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"It annoys me because I've been paying thousands to maintain my hangar. When you've got an asset like this, you've got to maintain it.

"My hangar suffered no damage, and I've got a programme of works to maintain it starting in April. You've got to do it otherwise it ends up falling down. We spent a lot of money to maintain ours so far, and this will carry on throughout the summer.

"It's frustrating to see this happen in a place where my grandfather used to push me around in a pushchair."

Grenville Hodge, managing director of Old Sarum Airfield, said: “We are very disappointed that further damage has been caused to the hangar by the very severe storm Isha.

"We have plans to completely restore the hangar as part of a much wider plan for the airfield which is subject to a planning application currently with Wiltshire Council that we are keen to get positively determined as soon as possible.

"The overall repair to the hangar will be very comprehensive and any damage caused by the storm will be incorporated in the new repair schedule which has been discussed in detail with Historic England.

"Once repaired we will return the hangar to aviation use with plans to use it to store historic aircraft operating from the airfield.”

Wiltshire Council and Historic England have been contacted for comment.