Catalogue description Records relating to buildings and works for the armed services

Details of Division within WORK
Reference: Division within WORK
Title: Records relating to buildings and works for the armed services
Description:

Records created or inherited by the Ministry of Public Building and Works relating to buildings and works for the armed services.

  • Naval establishments, plans and drawings are in WORK 41.
  • Army establishments, plans and drawings are in WORK 43.
  • Royal Air Force establishments, plans and drawings are in WORK 44.
  • Works Contract Precedent Books from the War Office Directorate of Contracts are in WORK 52.
  • Branch folders from the Air Ministry Directorate-General of Works are in WORK 53.
  • Registered files and other records from the Admiralty Director General of Works are in WORK 81.
Date: 1713-1970
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Language: English
Physical description: 6 series
Access conditions: Subject to 30 year closure
Administrative / biographical background:

Work on royal castles and fortifications, including some harbours (notably Calais) was undertaken by the Office of the King's Works in the medieval and early modern periods. By the eighteenth century, however, responsibility for naval and military works had passed to the armed services themselves. This remained the case until 1963, when the works departments of the Admiralty, War Office and Air Ministry were merged with the Ministry of Public Building and Works.

In 1970, these areas of responsibility passed to the newly-created Department of the Environment, and in 1972 to the Property Services Agency. In 1988, responsibility for the defence estate was handed over to the Ministry of Defence.

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