| Dunholme Lodge airfield was open between 1943-1945. Located just South-West of the village of Welton, some 4 miles North of Lincoln, the base took its name from the nearby farmhouse that the technical site had been built next to, which in turn was named after another village a mile to the East.
The base was originally used as a bomber station, however the airfield suffered serious overlap problems with neighbouring Scampton, which was only 2 miles North-West of the site, so following the wars end, the bombers vacated and the base saw out its final days as a glider station before returning to agriculture. The MOD later bought back a small section of the airfield for use as a bloodhound missile base, which was located on the old Western boundary and was open between 1959-1964. The old site is dissected by Horncastle road, which connects the A15 to the A46, and had to be closed during the war years. However, today there is very very little left of either site to give any indication of its former uses. A group of Romney sheds on Dunholme Lodge farm survive, being used as storage. But the old control tower was pulled down sometime in the late 60’s/early 70’s, along with the old domestic sites, which were based around the village of Welton to the North-East, which have been slowly demolished over the years to make way for more housing as the village has expanded. Virtually all the old perimeter tracks and most of the runways have been pulled up and the lands used again for farming, apart from the W-E runway, which has all but been reduced to a single track, aside from a 300 yard stretch East side of Horncastle road which retains its original width. A 150 yard stretch of the base of the NW-SE runway also remains to the South. The old rifle range to the North West of site is still there, located adjacent to a public footpath. A couple of sheds from the sites Bloodhound missile days also survive as factory units, which can be found along Horncastle road. Bits of the bomb stores can also be found South of site to the West of the A46. The William Farr school in Welton village, which was built on part of the old domestic site, incorporates an RAF roundel in its sign and a dedication to the former airfield. |
Former tech site entrance. 700x525 |
Where the airfields name comes from. 700x525 |
View of surviving Romney huts from the entrance. 700x525 |
Another view of the huts, from from a public footpath on the opposite side 700x500 |
View from the centre of the airfield looking towards the former tech site area. 700x525 |
Crew lockers and drying huts. 700x525 |
View towards Dunholme Lodge farm from Horncastle road. The old control tower used to be just in front of the brick farm store where the hedge now is. 700x500 |
The old tower as it was in 1963 (©Tony Coles) 700x500 |
Last surviving section of W-E runway, East of Horncastle road. 700x525 |
Remains of W-E runway West of Horncastle road. Now a single track. 700x525 |
Base of the former NW-SE runway, last surviving chunk. 700x525 |
Rifle range, North West of site. 700x525 |
Rifle range, rear view. 700x525 |
Remains of the original warning flag. 700x525 |
Bomb store entrance, West of A46. 700x525 |
Bomb store hardstandings off A46. 700x525 |
Other entrance to bomb stores, off Hall lane, SW of site. 700x525 |
These buildings, West of the site alog Horncastle road, were apparently part of the old Bloodhound missile base 700x505 |
This ROC post can be found alongside a public footpath in the centre of the old site. 700x525 |
Another view of the post, showing the vent hatch. 525x700 |
Sign outside William Farr school. 700x525 |
