The Flying Bat Observatory combines the unique features of our modular observatory design with the roof design of the little-known Crayford Observatory, which was created by Simon Dawes and Steve Floodgate of the Crayford Manor House Astronomical Society, after which the design is named. Essentially, the design comprisies two roofs, one of which is larger in both width and height, and which sits on short walls. These walls, along with the larger roof, are able to slide fully past the smaller roof to give a lower horizon in the observatory without compromising on height in the warm room. You can read about the original Crayford Observatory, and see it in video here.

This roof design is far from the only contribution to astronomy from this venerable society however – many astronomers will recognise the Crayford moniker from the Crayford Focuser – the now-ubiquitous friction-based focuser found on many telescopes and originally invented in 1969 by John Wall, another member of the society. The society continues to be very active in both astronomical research and technical projects, so we fully expect to hear the Crayford name attached to more future innovations for astronomy!

Whilst the original Crayford observatory was formed of two simple garden sheds, however, we have applied the roof concept to our very substantial modular observatory design, which dramatically increases the strength and rigidity of the design through the use of our 4″ frame within which all the panels of the observatory are installed. LIke all our observatories, the loadings of our roof and floor timbers are all calculated based on building regulations principles, ensuring a long lifetime of use and an observatory that will look as good as it does now for decades to come, regardless of what the British climate throws at it.

Also of note with regard to this observatory is its unique marine ply lining – installed at the request of the client and providing both exceptional dimensional stability (allowing a very straightforward and rapid installation) and an excellent base for painting. We primed each piece of ply in the workshop, so that all edges and visible faces were sealed prior to installation: all that remains is for our client to paint the observatory with a couple of coats of their choice of paint… we look forward to seeing the result!

Finally, as is the case with all our recent observatories, the Flying Bat Observatory includes LED strip lighting built into the walls, all of which is fully dimmable (right from off to fully on and anywhere in between) and remotely controllable via remote switches or even an app on the client’s phone. Because the observatory was to be painted black internally, we sourced matt black sockets and accessories, as well as matt black door furniture for both doors.