| RAF Swinderby, named after the nearby village about a mile to the North-West of the base, can be found alongside the A46, some 10miles North-East of Newark (10 miles South-West of Lincoln).
The base originally opened as a WW2 bomber airfield in 1940, but post war was used as an RAF training school. It continued in this role up until 1993, when the base was finally closed due to defence cuts and sold off in chunks to various buyers. At the time these pictures were taken most of the old technical site was intact and being used as an industrial estate. However, in 2008 demolition work started to take place, removing most of the original buildings to clear the way for a new industrial park. Few original buildings, apart from the old hangers now remain. These pictures showed what the site looked like in 2005/2006. The old airfield is currently used as a showground, but the runways, peri-track and post-war control tower are still there, though the tower has been extensively vandalised. The former domestic site opposite the base has been completely demolished, apart one barrack block, and redeveloped into what is now the village of Witham St Hughes. Though some of the old RAF houses North of the new estate still remain. Please note that the showground based on the old airfield, and the industrial estate on the former tech site are both privately owned and strictly speaking not open to the general public unless you're there on official buisiness. |
Former main entrance, with guardroom on left. 535x400 |
Former guardroom, viewed from inside main gate. 555x400 |
Station HQ, to the right of main entrance opposite guardroom. 535x400 |
Water towers. 535x400 |
Former station armoury 535x400 |
Boiler house. 535x400 |
Former WW2 Ops block(?). 535x400 |
Former station cinema. 535x400 |
Former classroom building. 550x400 |
Old nissen huts. 535x400 |
Fuel store compound. 535x400 |
Paint store (it says so on the tin!!). 535x400 |
Swinderby's 3 'J' type hangers (now used as warehousing). 535x400 |
Original WW2 control tower, rear view. 535x400 |
Original WW2 control tower with ancillary building on left and fire tender shed on right. 535x400 |
Old ident square in front of tower, the initial SW are still just visible. 535x400 |
Post-war control tower on former airfield. 535x400 |
Post-war control tower, looking back towards former tech site. 565x400 |
Former power supply room in tower. 535x400 |
Former power supply room in tower. 535x400 |
View upstairs to observation lounge. 400x535 |
View accross airfield from tower, looking West. 535x400 |
View accross airfield looking North. 535x400 |
Former N-S runway, looking South. 535x400 |
