Monument record TR 35 NW 922 - A Royal Air Force housing estate built during the 1950s.

TR 3339 5853. The housing estate off Ramsgate Road was built between 1950 and 1954 to house the personnel stationed at the radar station, at RAF Ash. The estate covers approximately 4.5 hectares and comprises 16 pairs of semi-detached houses built around Stonar Close, and 8 detached officer's houses on Stonar gardens. It is understood that Stonar House was used as a mess. The roads are tree-lined and the whole estate is surrounded by a wire-mesh fence. The estate alongwith with other MOD housing, was sold to a private company during the early 1990s, and most of the houses were vacant at the time of survey. (1)

The Rotor programme was developed to upgrade the wartime radar technology to detect and locate fast-flying jets. It was approved by the Air Council in June 1950. There were three main components to the Rotor stations: the technical site, including the radars, operation blocks and other installations; the domestic site, where personnel were accommodated; and the stand-by set house, a reserve power supply. The domestic site for Sandwich radar station was located at TR 334 585.

The rural location of many radar stations meant accommodation had to be constructed to house members of staff. A typical GCI station could have up to 400 personnel, including officers, non-commissioned officers, corporals and aircraftsmen/women. Often new housing estates were built and accommodation could vary from temporary huts to permanent brick-built buildings. (2-4)

Aerial photography from 1979 shows a full series of brick-built domestic housing in good condition. Many prefabricated also remain in use and there are a small number of bases and derelict structures in the north-west corner of the site. (5)

CBA, 01/01/1996, Twntieth Century Fortifications in England, Vol. XI.2 appendices (Bibliographic reference). SKE24111.

English Heritage, 2001, Cold War Monuments: an assessment by the Monuments Protection Programme (Unpublished document). SKE17446.