Better known these days as the Prince William of Gloucester Territorial Army Barracks, the site originally opened in 1916 as a Royal Flying Corps landing ground.
Located on top of Spitalgate Hill, on the East side of Grantham town, adjacent to the A52 road, the site was originally called RFC Grantham.
Post WW1 it remained an active airfield and with the onset of WW2 in 1939 it was redeveloped and expanded by the RAF into a modern fighter station and renamed RAF Spitalgate.
After WW2, the station remained active and was used as a training school for RAF personnel and as a glider college. It continued in this role up until 1975 when the stations function changed and it was transferred by the MOD for use by the Army as a Royal Corps of Transport depot for the Territorial Army.
The old technical and domestic site buildings from the stations RAF days are virtually all intact and still in use, with the exception of the old control tower which has been demolished. The old hangers in front of the old airfield are still there, now used for storage purposes.
Part of the old airfield is still in use by the army for training purposes, the other half has reverted to agriculture. The old bomb stores on the far side of the field next to the A52 are still there as they’ve not yet been churned up by the farmer. |
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Main gate with guardroom to the left. 700x525 |
Join the Army? Not bloody likely, its dangerous!!! 525x700 |
View across the old airfield from the South-East gate, now a sports field. 700x525 |
View from the A52 looking West accross the old airfield towards the old tech site. 700x525 |
The old Eastern peri-track, looking South. 700x525 |
Eastern peri-track (next to A52) looking North. 700x525 |
Bomb store entrance off Eastern peri-track. 700x525 |
Bomb store walls. 700x525 |
Is this an old fusing shed, or a farmers shed? 700x525 |
There's a few of these old ammo boxes about. 700x525 |
Road round the back of the bomb stores, by A52. 700x525 |
View of the old tech site from the old Northern airfield entrance (note hangers and firing range wall in background). 700x525 |
Thanks for the advice! 700x525 |
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