| RAF North Coates, located right next to the coast, 1.5 miles North-East of the village of North Cotes (note spelling) about 5 miles South-East of Grimsby, started life as a WW1 RFC landing ground.
The original RFC site was open between 1914-1919 and originally called North Coates Fitties. The military then sold the site back to the farmer, only to buy it back again some 8 years later. The new site opened in 1927 as a training camp for armaments practice, but during the mid-1930’s was developed into a fighter station by the newly formed RAF. Post war, the station was used a Bloodhound missile base and later housed a number of maintenance units. The site finally closed in 1990 and was sold off in various lots. Today, the old airfield has almost entirely reverted back to farmland, with the runways and former missile bases churned up for use as hardcore. The majority of old technical site is now used, believe it or not, as a bible college and training centre for an Evangelical Christian Missionary group. Two of the old hangers are used for farm stores, the third is used by a private flying club which operates on what’s left of the old airfield. A shooting club also operates on the Northern part of the site in what used to be the old rifle range. A memorial to the old base can be found on the site outside the former Station HQ (now the Christian Group head office), opposite the turning for the flying club control tower. Please note that the old tech site is, technically, private property, so I would strongly advise against wondering round. There shouldn’t be any problem in photographing the memorial, but don’t go wondering off. Similarly, the pictures of the front of the control tower building were only taken after securing permission from the flying club, this is an active airfield and very hazardous, so don’t just go barging on. |
Sign in North Cotes village 700x525 |
Former main entrance. 700x525 |
Old guardroom(?) (private property) 700x525 |
Former accomodation blocks (private property). 700x525 |
Memorial by the old station HQ (now the mission's head office). 700x525 |
Close up of memorial inscription. 700x800 |
Close up of bronze figure on top of the memorial. 700x700 |
Former medical centre (private property). 700x525 |
Med centre signage still in place. 700x525 |
What's this shelter in the old med centre? 700x520 |
One of the many filled-in air raid shelters. 700x525 |
Flying club hanger, with derelict offices in front. 700x525 |
Flying club control tower. 700x525 |
Front of flying club conrol tower, with hanger in background. 700x525 |
Flying club hanger, front view. 700x525 |
Good to see some flying still taking place at what's left of the old airfield. 700x525 |
Looking the opposite way along remains of peri-track towards T2. 700x525 |
Road up to the gun club, with sports centre and squash court in back ground (private). 700x525 |
The old rifle range, now used by a private gun club. 700x525 |
T2 hanger, at the edge of the flying clubs airstrip. 700x525 |
Former RAF buildings by Southern airfield entrance. 700x525 |
View across former airfield, now farmland, from Southern airfield entrance looking towards the hangers and tower. 700x525 |
Looking West along Southern peri-track remains. 700x525 |
Looking East along Southern peri-track remains. 700x525 |
