Action Stations - Past and Present

RFC South Carlton

Sun Sep 20 2009

Sunday 20 September 2009: South Carlton was a WW1 landing ground and was used by the Royal Flying Corps as a training depot for its pilots. Located approximately 2 miles North of Lincoln, the airfield was situated between the B1398 and A15 roads, immediately East of the small village it was named after and is only 2 miles South of Scampton. The site was only open between 1916 and 1920, but was an extremely busy airfield during this period. Most of the buildings were made of wood and were demolished soon after its closure, but a couple of brick buildings remain along with one hanger, which has been re-roofed and is currently being used by the farmer. The former main entrance is currently a farm track which leads down to Cliff farm and the buildings in this collection are located on land belonging to them, so if you intend visiting the site please try and secure permission from them first. The nearby church in South Carlton village has a small memorial collection containing old photographs and articles about the old airfield.

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RAF North Luffenham [Leicestershire]

Sun Sep 13 2009

Sunday 13 September 2009: Better known these days as St George_s Army Barracks, former RAF North Luffenham is located about 5 miles South-West of Stamford, adjacent to the village of Edith Weston on the Leicestershire side of Rutland. The station, which took its name from a village to the south, opened in 1940 as a flying training school and originally had only grass runways. However its usage changed mid war in 1943 to a bomber airfield and so concrete runways were built to accommodate the heavier aircraft. Post war, the station remained active and had numerous roles over the years, being used as a glider college, a bomber training unit, a Canadian fighter base and even as a Thor missile wing. In later years, the station was also used by the RAF school of medicine, the Joint Services Language school and a succession of ground signals organisations. However, in 1997 the decision was made to relocate these to other stations and the site closed to RAF use later that year. The station was then transferred to the Army and became St Georges Barracks, and is currently occupied by their Royal Artillery division. The entire technical site still remains, including the control tower, hangers and barrack blocks, which are now in army use. As is the former officers mess and service personnel housing. Parts of the old airfield are currently used by the army for munitions tests and training exercises and numerous old aircraft and military vehicles can be found strewn around the old field for Explosive Ordnance Disposal Training. The rest of the airfield is now largely in agricultural use. A haulage firm currently uses the old hangers for storage and part of the airfield has also been turned into a golf course. An aero model club also use part of the Eastern end of the field at weekends. A memorial to the airfield can be found in the beer garden at the Wheatsheaf pub in Edith Weston village. Please note! Whilst it is possible to walk round the airfield at weekends, it is advisable to steer clear during the week due to army activities there. This visit took place in August 2009 with several other members of the Airfield research group!

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RAF Wickenby

Mon Aug 31 2009

Monday 31 August 2009: Located about 8 miles North East of Lincoln, former RAF Wickenby can be found just North of the B1399 road, between the villages of Wickenby and Holton Cum Beckering and took its name from the former of the two villages, which is located a mile to the North-West of the site. The airfield opened mid war in 1942, but only saw active flying use for 3 short years. Post war, the RAF had no further use for it, so in 1945, flying operations ceased and the base was used by a maintenance unit for storing bombs. The site eventually closed in 1959 and mostly reverted back to farmland. Then in 1963, a group of aviation enthusiasts purchased part of the Northern half of the airfield for use with their aircraft. They went on to become Wickenby flying club, who continue to operate on the site today. The old airfield is dissected laterally by a small road, which had to be closed during the war years. The Northern half of the field is mostly intact, including most of the peri-track, a T2 hanger, Blister Hanger and the Northen halves of both the NW-SE and NE-SW runways, along with the old control tower which is used by the flying club. The Southern half of the site has almost entirely reverted back to farmland and there is very little at ground level to indicate its former use. A road follows part of the Western peritack. The Southern parts of the NW-SE and NE-SW runways, along with the Eastern part of the former main W-E runway, have mostly been dug up, though a few tracks remain to indicate their location. The Western half the the main W-E runway now has poultry sheds on it. A B1 hanger to the South-West has been reclad and is used by the farmer as storage. Of the domestic sites, everything South of site has been demolished. A few huts and air raid shelters to the East on the Northern half of the site still remain in a very dilapidated state. A nearby public footpath allowed me access to photograph these, though please note some of these buildings are on private farmland. There is an excellent exhibit of station memorabilia in the old control tower, which is open to the public. There is also a memorial to the site next to the aerodrome entrance. These pictures were taken during the Wickenby Wings and Wheels Weekend event in June 2009.

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RAF Barkston Heath

Sun Jun 21 2009

Sunday 21 June 2009: One of the few active airfields left in Lincolnshire, Barkston Heath opened in 1939, originally intended as a relief landing ground for nearby RAF Cranwell, but then in 1943 was upgraded to become a fully active bomber airfield for the USAAF. The airfield is located 6 miles North-East of Grantham, alongside the B6403 road, and takes its name from the area of heath land it was built on. Post war it was handed back for RAF use in 1945 and was briefly used for training RAF Regiment personnel and storing surplus ordnance. But in 1948 it reverted to its original role of being a relief ground for nearby Cranwell. Who continue to use it for flying training to this day. Most of the original tech site buildings located to the South of site have been demolished, with the exception of the control tower, one shed and a T2 hanger. The two hangers alongside the Eastern boundary were demolished during the 80s, a new hanger was built on the base of one of these during the early 90s. The base of the other, adjacent to the new site entrance, is now used as a car park. Four original T2 hangers located on the North-East side of the airfield, on the opposite side of the B6403 road have since been sold off and are now used as private warehousing, forming part of a small industrial estate.

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RAF Bircham Newton [Norfolk]

Sun Jun 14 2009

Sunday 14 June 2009: Located in Norfolk, some 12 miles North-East of Kings Lynn, RAF Bircham Newton, which takes its name from a village a mile to the East, first opened in 1916 as an RFC landing ground for fighter aircraft, but later became a Bomber station. During the 1930s, the station was enlarged and redeveloped as part of the RAF_s expansion programme and remained in active RAF use post WW2. But having only grass runways, the site was unsuitable for use with the new jet aircraft coming into service and so was closed in 1962. The station was held as an inactive site for several years, with the airfield used as a relief landing ground, before finally closing for good in 1966. The site was then purchased by the Construction Industry Training board, who continue to use it to this day as a college, as well as their main headquarters. The site is bisected by the B1155, with the main technical site and former flying field on the West side and the main bulk of the domestic accommodation buildings to the East Most of the original buildings and Hangers remain, along with the barrack blocks, which are in use by the college. The old Officers Mess is now a private hotel and the RAF housing is now in private ownership. Whilst the site retains most of its war time feel, at the time these photos were taken in 2009, the original pre-war control tower is scheduled for demolition due to its poor state (hey, aren_t they a construction training college? Can_t they just rebuild it?). Similarly, the old guard room and buildings adjacent to the former main entrance are also up for demolition to make way for newer college dormitories. PLEASE NOTE, the site is strictly private property, so do not try and barge on and take photos. These pictures were taken as part of an arranged visit with the site owners during out-of-college hours. A heritage room and memorial to the old airfield is located in the former station commander_s house to the North East of site. Viewing of the heritage room is by appointment only, so checkout their website for more details at http://www.rafbnmp.org.uk/

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RAF Kirton in Lindsey

Sun Oct 26 2008

Sunday 26 October 2008: Located 15 miles North of Lincoln, and some 5 miles south of Scunthorpe. RAF Kirton in Lindsey, which was built immediately South of the village from where it takes its name from, originally opened in 1940. The site was one of the RAF_s expansion period airfields and was actually located close to a former RFC landing ground of the same name, which had closed at the end of WW1. The site originally opened as a fighter station and was used for this purpose up until 1960, when the MOD decided to transfer its use to the Army. The base was then renamed _Rapier Barracks_ and used by the Army_s Royal Artillary Corps. In 2004, the base was transferred back to RAF use and the name changed back to _RAF Kirton in Lindsey_. The station is currently used by No.1 Air Control Centre (1ACC), the RAF_s only deployable ground-based early warning and air control radar unit, and is administered by nearby RAF Scampton. Though the RAF no longer use the former airfield for aviation use, some flying does still take place in the form of a private glider club, who now own a chunk of the former airfield. Another chunk of the airfield was turned into a golf course by the army, a function for which it is still used for today.

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RAF Faldingworth

Fri Sep 19 2008

Friday 19 September 2008: Faldingworth started life as a bomber station, located about 8 miles North of Lincoln and some 5 miles South-West of Market Rasen. The station took its name from the nearby village located a mile to the West. The base opened towards the end of WW2 in 1944, but remained open until 1948 when it was then mothballed and held as an inactive site. Part of the Western side of the airfield was later redeveloped by the MOD for use as a nuclear weapons store, which opened in 1957 and serviced the missiles for nearby Scampton. The remainder of the old airfield reverted to agricultural use. The Weapons store closed in 1972 and was initially sold to a munitions firm, but today is used as a secure storage area. The rest of the old airfield is still used for farming and was sold to its present owners in the late 90s. A memorial to the former Polish squadrons that occupied the former airfield has been erected on the Easten end of the main runway, so access to the airfield side of things is possible, though as part of the site is still used for explosives testing by the firms from the nearby secure store, the site is often kept gated off so permission has to be first sought from the keyholders (their numbers are displayed on the gate). The former weapons store is totally off limits as this is very much a high security storage facility. Although the former sentry towers from its MOD era have been removed, the area is still encircled by 10 foot barbed wire fences. Most of the airfield buildings have been demolished, except for a hanger and a couple of communal sight buildings that exist on dispersed sites outside of the airfield. Most of the runways still exist though the N-S runway has been narrowed.

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RAF Caistor

Fri Sep 19 2008

Friday 19 September 2008: Located aproximately 10 miles North of Market Rasen, midway between the villages of Caistor and North Kelsey, RAF Caistor originally opened in 1941 as a fighter station. The site contained grass runways and was essentially used as a relief landing ground for nearby Kirton in Lindsey and as a training station by RAF Cranwell. The site closed to flying in 1945 and was held as an inactive site by the MOD until 1959 when it was turned into a Thor missile base. The site finally closed in 1963 and was sold off shortly afterwards. Today the site has mostly returned to agriculture, all that remains are the concrete peri-track, a blister hanger and handful of the former squadron offices.

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RAF Bentwaters [Suffolk]

Sun Aug 24 2008

Sunday 24 August 2008: One of the many former Suffolk airfields I shall be featuring in my collection as it boasts a Museum on site, RAF Bentwaters was a former WW2 bomber station located next to the parish of Rendlesham about 4miles North East of the town of Woodbridge, some 10miles North East of Ipswitch. The base took its name from "Bentwaters Cottage", a former dwelling that had to be knocked down to make way for the airfield. It originally opened in 1944 as an RAF bomber station, but post war was used a fighter base. Then in 1951, was used by the USAF, who also occupied the nearby RAF Woodbridge, and the 2 stations became known as the "Twin Bases". During its later years, the station became well known for housing the A10 tank buster aircraft, but finally closed in 1993 following the end of the cold war. Today the site is now a private industrial estate. A museum, based in the former command centre, operates on site staffed by volunteers from Bentwaters aviation society. Please note that these pictures around site were taken as part of an organised visit with the museum. Public access is otherwise restricted to the museum itself and only on the weekends when its open. Please check the links on my front page to visit their website if you want to visit the museum. Don't just turn up on site and try and wander round, you will be booted off!

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RAF Scampton

Sat Aug 9 2008

Saturday 9 August 2008: Scampton, for the moment at least, is one of the few surviving active former WW2 airfields in Lincolnshire. Located just North of Lincoln, adjacent to the A15 road, Scampton was built on the site of a former WW1 RFC landing site named Brattleby, which had originally been open between 1916-1920. The new station, built during the RAF's 'expansion period', opened in 1936 and became famous for being home to the squadron who lead the infamous "dambusters" raids commanded by Guy Gibson. His black labrador dog 'nigger' (they were less PC in those days) is buried on site, in front of his former office in Hanger 2. The station was also used to make the Dambusters film, which starred Richard Todd. Post war the station was used as a Vulcan bomber base and today is probably best known for being the home of the Red Arrows display team. The base was mothballed in the mid-90's and is now being kept open in a very limited capacity for the Red Arrows, however the stations future is looking uncertain as the MOD feel the station is too costly to maintain just for their display team. A museum to the site is located in the offices of Number 1 hanger. However, as Scampton is still an operational station, access to this can only be made by prior arrangement with the curators, so please refer to the links on my main page to visit the official website if you wish to contact them to arrange a visit. The following photos were taken during an official tour of the site arranged with the curators in June 2008 by some members of the Airfield Information Exchange (good work Dave).

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RAF Dunholme Lodge

Mon Jun 9 2008

Monday 9 June 2008: 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.

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RAF Spitalgate

Thu Aug 30 2007

Thursday 30 August 2007: 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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RAF North Witham

Tue Aug 28 2007

Tuesday 28 August 2007: Named after the village a mile to the South-West, some 10 miles South of Grantham, East of the A1 and South of the A151, RAF North Witham opened in 1943 and was primarily used as an Army air-force troop carrier base by the US army. Post war the airfield was no longer needed for flying so, from 1945 onwards it was used to store additional bombs by the personnel at South Witham as well as surplus equipment that had been earmarked for disposal. The site eventually closed in 1958 and was disposed of in 1960. Today the site is now woodland run by the forestry commission and is called Twyford Woods, which is open to the public. The old runways and perimeter tracks are still mostly intact, except for where the Southern half is dissected by Honeypot lane, which had to be closed during the war years. The old control tower still exists, standing derelict on the airfield. The technical site, which was based around Honeypot lane, has been demolished, with the exception of one T2 hanger, which now forms part of a small industrial estate. The former domestic sites, based in woods to the South, between Honeypot lane and Wooleys lane, have apparently been demolished. However it is not possible to photograph these as they_re on private property. The old water tower can still be seen at the edge of the woods South of Honeypot lane.

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RAF South Witham

Tue Aug 28 2007

Tuesday 28 August 2007: Located in Morkery woods, East of the A1 about 13 miles South of Grantham and just South of RAF North Witham airfield. RAF South Witham, which like its northern namesake was named after the village to the West, was a munitions dump which supplied all the neighbouring airfields with bombs and ammunition. The site opened in 1942 and remained active post war up until 1956, closing around the same time as North Witham. Today the area is run by the forestry commission and is open to the public. However, all that remains to indicate the sites former use are the concrete tracks that honeycomb the forest and a few hut bases.

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RAF Woolfox Lodge

Mon Aug 27 2007

Monday 27 August 2007: Located just over the Lincolnshire county boundary on the Leicestershire side of Rutland. Woolfox Lodge, which was named after a nearby manor house, was one of several RAF stations to be built around the A1 road. The airfield was situated about 6 miles North-West of Stamford, East of the A1 next to the Southbound carriageway. It opened in 1940 and was initially a relief landing ground for the nearby airfields at Cottesmore and North Luffenham. Then in 1942 it was expanded and enlarged to become to become a fully active bomber airfield. Post war, the site was used again simply as a relief landing ground, up until 1960 when it was converted into a Bloodhound missile base. It finally closed in 1965 and was sold off the following year. Today the airfield has reverted to agriculture, though the perimeter track is still mostly intact and sections of runway still remain. The old control tower was converted into a house after the bases closure and was occupied up until the late 70_s, but has stood empty since this time and is now derelict. The old bloodhound missile complex that was built on the main runway appears mostly intact, and is visible from the A1. The perimeter fence is still standing, which is now being used by the farmer to pen in his sheep and many of the old service buildings are still contained within, albeit derelict. Part of the airfield next to the A1 is also occupied by a small industrial estate. A public footpath skirts round the Northern edge of the airfield, which enabled me to nip across and photograph the old tower. I was also able to grab a few shots of the runways from the main entrance off the A1, however please note that as this is private farmland there is no actual public access across airfield itself.

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RAF Goxhill

Thu Aug 9 2007

Thursday 9 August 2007: Former RAF Goxhill was the most Northern of all the Airfields to be built in Lincolnshire during WW2. Located just East of Goxhill village, which is some 3 miles East of Barton upon Humber, the site is actually just North of former RAF Killingholme, . The base opened in 1941 and was originally intended as a bomber airfield, however for reasons unknown, the RAF decided to use it for their fighter planes instead and was predominantly used by the US 8th Air force. It was during this time the site also became known as "Goathill", due to the American pronunciation as they were unable to say "Goxhill" properly (so the story goes). The base was wound down following the wars end in 1945, and with the exception of being used to store bombs during the 1950_s, the base saw little other military use until it was finally disposed of in 1962. Today Most of the buildings on the old tech site remain, being used by various businesses for storage purposes, however most of these are now in a very dilapidated state, with the exception of the 3 main hangers at the front of the site. The old airfield, like so many former war time flying fields, has been turned back into farmland. The runways and peri-track were mostly intact up until 2002, but since then parts of the site have been sold off by the original farmer and large sections of these have been churned up by the new owners. The old control tower was still standing derelict up until this time, but the new owners have since carefully knocked it down and apparently shipped it over to the US to be reconstructed at an air force museum. Sections of the old domestic site can be found to the South, some now forming parts of a small industrial set of units. A memorial to the site can be found on the North-West corner of the airfield at adjacent to the crossroads where Ruard road and Horsegate Field lane meet on what was one the North East airfield entrance. Trivia buffs may wish to note that 40_s movie star Clark Gable was stationed at Goxhill for a period during his time in the US air force. Please note that technically, the old tech site buildings are on private property. However ownership of these is split, and after chatting to one of the owners, they said they had no problems in me photographing the site. There is also a public footpath that runs straight accross the former field, so access was relatively straightforward.

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RAF North Killingholme

Tue Aug 7 2007

Tuesday 7 August 2007: Located in North Lincolnshire, about 3 miles North-West of Immingham. North Killingholme had only a brief operational life span, being open between 1943-1945 and takes its name from the nearby village immediately East of the site. Today, most of the old tech site buildings have been demolished to make way for an industrial estate, though a few do still remain. Some of which are in use for farm storage, but most are now derelict and probably won't be around much longer. The airfield has gone back to farmland, though the perimeter track and runways are still mostly intact. All 3 original hangers are still standing and used for industrial purposes and farm storage. Bits and pieces of the former domestic sites can be found around the village, though these have mostly been demolished. A memorial to the old site can be found at the former main entrance, which is now the entrance to the industrial estate, just off East Halton road. The industrial estate appears to be constantly expanding, so its probably only a matter of time before the entire East side is completely redeveloped.

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RAF Duxford [Cambridgeshire]

Sat Jul 21 2007

Saturday 21 July 2007: Better known these days as Duxford Air Museum, this was one of the first airfields to be opened by the newly formed RAF during WW1 in 1918. Located 8 miles South of Cambridge, just off the M11, West of the Duxford village, the base was primarily used as a fighter station and played a key part in the Battle of Britain during WW2. The site closed in 1961 though was held by the MOD as an inactive site for several years. The base had begun to fall into disrepair, until MGM studios used it to film "The Battle of Britain" in 1968. Whilst the film makers drew criticism for inflicting more damage to the site during their few weeks of filming than the Luftwaffe had managed during the whole of WW2, even blowing up one of the original WW1 hangers without permission in the process, the film did have the positive affect of awakening public interest in the preservation of military heritage. Shortly afterwards the base was sold off to the Imperial war museum and today houses one of the largest collections of military and civil aircraft in Europe, as well as having one of the finest collections of tanks, military vehicles and naval exhibits in the country Whilst the museum, which is primarily based on the old tech site, outwardly looks quite different to its war time days, most of the old buildings still remain, having been painstakingly preserved, including the original guard room, station HQ, ops block and control towers, though not all are open to the public. The old domestic site, including the old officer_s mess, based on the opposite side of the A505 to the museum, is also owned by the museum and although the buildings have been preserved, they_re not generally open to the public, as they_re used for storage by their archives division. The majority of photos shown here have been selected to show what remains of the original buildings, as opposed to the Museums displays. The museum is well worth a day out for anyone with an interest in military or aviation heritage. For details, checkout the link on the main page.

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RAF Wainfleet

Wed Apr 25 2007

Wednesday 25 April 2007: Named after the village of Wainfleet All Saints some 2 miles to the North-East, about 7 miles South-West of Skegness, Wainfleet is one of 3 active gunnery ranges, along with Holbeach and Donna Nook, based around the Lincolnshire coastline. The site opened in 1938. The range itself is located on the marshes just beyond the main technical site on Sea lane. Trivia buffs may wish to note that the site had previously been used by the army as an artillery range during the 1890_s. It was also the main range used by the Dambusters squadron to test their automatic bomb sights on. The outer edge of the range is open to members of the public most weekdays, which is how I was able to acquire these pictures.

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RAF Sandtoft

Wed Apr 25 2007

Wednesday 25 April 2007: Built between the villages of Sandtoft and Belton in North-East Lincolnshire, about 10 miles West of Scunthorpe, Sandtoft opened close to the wars end in 1944 and only enjoyed a full year of active service before being mothballed by the RAF in 1945. The site was retained by the military post war, but saw little active use. In 1953 it was made fully operational again for the USAF, however they then decided not to use it and in 1955 the site was finally disposed of. The airfield is dissected by Sandtoft road, which runs between Belton and Sandtoft village, and had to be closed during the war years. Whilst the outlines of the runways and peri-track are visible from the air, it_s difficult to make out at ground level that this was once a WW2 bomber airfield. The Northern half of the site, sandwiched between Sandtoft road and the M180, is now almost entirely made up of a private industrial estate, with most of the former runways and hard standings having units built on them. A small transport museum also operates on part of what was once the old Western per-track. The old control tower still stands, having been converted into a house, along with the fire tender shed which is now a garage, but apart from that there are very few original buildings left on the site. A couple of shelters and a water tower are all that remain of the old domestic site West of the airfield. A memorial to the site can be found along Sandtoft road, just up from the old control tower next to some former workshops. The Southern half of the airfield is now mostly farmland, however a private flying club also operates on site keeping the theme of aviation alive, utilising the Southern half of the Eastern peri-track as a runway. There is a public viewing area next the the clubs buildings for any aviation enthusiasts wishing to view the aircraft arriving and departing. The small transport museum at the other end of Sandtoft road also makes for an interesting afternoon out.

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RAF Hibaldstow

Mon Apr 23 2007

Monday 23 April 2007: One of the many temporary airfields to be built around Lincolnshire during WW2, Hibaldstow, located 10 Miles South-East of Scunthorpe, just off the A15 to the East of the B1206 road, mid-way between the villages of Hibaldstow and Redbourne, was open between 1941-1945. Upon its closure, the flying field reverted back to agriculture almost immediately and most of the buildings and hangers were pulled down soon after. The runways and perimeter tracks are mostly still intact though and used for a variety of different purposes. The Eastern half of the former W-E runway is used as an airstrip by a parachute centre and glider club, who both operate on North of the airfield and keep the theme of aviation alive, along with an Aero models club. A driving School operate on Western side of the Northern peri-track, with the remaining hard standings all being used for storage by the farmer who owns the site. The old control tower is still standing, having been fully renovated and converted into a house, but apart from that very few original buildings still remain on the site. A couple of shelters, hut bases and piles of rubble are all that remain of the various dispersed sites that existed South of the airfield around Carr lane. Please note that with the site being divided between an active airfield and private farmland access is limited. A big thankyou to the homeowners who kindly allowed me to photograph the old control tower and even provided me with some photos of the place prior to renovation.

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RAF North Coates

Mon Apr 9 2007

Monday 9 April 2007: 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.

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RAF Donna Nook

Mon Apr 9 2007

Monday 9 April 2007: Donna Nook, located on the coast about 10 miles North-East of Louth, is one of the RAF_s East Coast gunnery ranges. It originally opened for this purpose in 1926, but in 1940 with the onset of World War 2, the site was expanded and a section of nearby farmland to the South-East developed into an airfield. The airfield was very basic and used solely as a relief landing ground for nearby North Coates, although domestic site facilities for the service personnel during this time were erected around Marsh Lane and Ark road to the West of the field (South of the current range). The airfield side of things closed in 1945, with the gunnery range also shutting down the following year. However, in 1973 the RAF decided to re-open the old range and a new site was built on the dunes. Today, Donna Nook is still very much an active RAF base and people are allowed to watch the aircraft practising their bombing runs from the nearby car park at Stonebridge. A public footpath runs through the tech site, which allowed me access to take close ups of he tower. Traces of the old Donna Nook range can be found in the dunes to the South-East of the site behind one of the observation posts. Several of the old airfield domestic site plots also survive on private farmland around Marsh Lane and Ark Road.

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RAF Holbeach

Sun Mar 18 2007

Sunday 18 March 2007: Named after the village some 5 miles to the South-West, RAF Holbeach is located next to the marshes of Holbeach St Mathews. The station opened in 1926 as a bombing and gunnery range and still exists for this purpose today. The main station is located North of the range, with the control tower and observation posts being some 2 miles South along the Marsh banks. There is a public footpath along the marsh banks, which provides a good view of the bombing range and makes for interesting viewing when the RAF are out practising.

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RAF Sutton Bridge

Sun Mar 18 2007

Sunday 18 March 2007: Located just inside the Lincolnshire border with Norfolk on the East side of the River Nene accross from the village of Long Sutton, some 5 miles West of Kings Lynn, RAF Sutton Bridge, which takes its name from the nearby river crossing, was a former RAF Fighter station. The base originally opened up in 1926 as fighter training school and continued in this capacity up until its eventual closure in 1958. Today very little, if anything, remains to indicate the areas former use. A power station and industrial estate developments now sit on what used to be the old airfield and virtually all the old buildings have been demolished, apart from a couple of huts which could easily be mistaken for old farm buildings. Bits of the old perimiter track remain, but as newer industrial development slowly take over the site it won't be long before all old traces of the site finally dissapear. A few houses, which used to form part of the married quarters, still exist. Some of which were still owned by the RAF for use for people working at nearby RAF Holbeach. A memorial to the old site can be found next to the bridge on the Eastern Side on what would have been the North-West corner of the airfield.

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Odds and Ends - miscellaneous photos

Sun Mar 18 2007

Sunday 18 March 2007: This section is intended for those photos which are of interest, but don't quite fit into a collection of their own. More information on these pictures is provided at the foot of each page.

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RAF Hemswell

Tue Jan 9 2007

Tuesday 9 January 2007: Built on the site of a former RFC landing ground, Hemswell was one of the many airfields to be built alongside the A15, North of Lincoln. Located about 13 miles North of the city on the A613 road, a mile East of Hemswell village, the base was one of the RAF_s expansion period airfields, which opened in 1937. The base continued as a bomber airfield up until 1956, when it was redeveloped as a Thor missile complex for the USAF. The base changed again in 1964 when Thor missiles where taken out of service, and was then used as an RAF recruitment and training school. Hemswell finally closed in 1967 and was gradually sold off in various lots. The main base itself is now a trading estate, which boasts as having the largest antiques centre in Europe, and on weekends is also home to a bustling Sunday market. The airfield has been turned back into arable farmland, though sections of runway and perimeter track are still largely intact, though these are not all readily available to photograph as they_re on private property. The old control tower is still there, though is barely recognizable having been extended and a warehouse built onto the side. All 4 hangers are still in place, now being used for warehousing and grain storage. The old officer_s mess opposite the base is now a private hotel, and most of the old RAF married quarters housing forms part of a private housing estate. However, the RAF still own a small section of the houses for servicemen working at Scampton and nearby Rapier Army Barracks. They also jointly co-own and manage the community centre with the local council. There are 2 memorials to the old base, one can be found alongside the A613 road next to the turning for the main entrance. The other is located on the old base itself on the former parade ground. A small RAF museum used to be located on the site, but this was forced to close in 2005.

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RAF Ingham (Cammeringham)

Sun Jan 7 2007

Sunday 7 January 2007: Sandwiched between the A15 and B1398 roads about 8 miles North of Lincoln, just East of the village it takes its name from, lies former RAF Ingham. Built on farmland, Ingham (sometimes referred to as Cammeringham after another village a mile to the South-West) was open between 1940-1945 and was unusual for a bomber airfield in that it had only grass runways. The site reverted to agriculture almost immediately after the wars end. Today a few buildings still remain, but there is very little to indicate to the untrained eye that there was ever an airfield there. A few workshops to the South of the site still remain, but are virtually unidentifiable, having been reclad and now forming part of a small set of industrial units by the crossroads on Ingham Lane and the B1398. The old control tower still stands in a very run down state, though this is located on private property behind Cliff House, which was used as an officers mess during the war. A single T2 hanger remains to the North of site, which has been reclad and extended, and is currently used for private warehousing. A few run down former domestic site buildings just North of the old hanger still stand by the side of the road, which are currently used as farm stores. Please note that although a public footpath does run along the front of Cliff House, the control tower itself is very much on private property, being located in the back garden of the house. If you visit the site, please respect the owners privacy. The close-up shots were taken only after securing permission from the owner (a big thankyou to the gentleman in question).

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RAF Sturgate

Thu Nov 2 2006

Thursday 2 November 2006: Located between the villages of Heapton and Upton some 5 Miles South-East of Gainsborough (11 miles North-West of Lincoln), former RAF Sturgate, which actually takes its name from a small village a mile to the North, was one of the last airfields to be built in Lincolnshire during WW2. The base opened in late 1944, and was only fully operational for just over a year, before being wound down by the RAF in early 1946. Post war it saw little use until the USAF took it over in 1952. The site finally closed when the Americans left in 1964 and was then sold off in various lots. Today, a small civil aerodrome operates on the Western side of the old airfield, from what used to be the old technical site. The Eastern side has reverted back to farmland. The old control tower is still standing and in reasonable condition, being currently used as a clubhouse by Lincoln Aero Club. Though many buildings and hangers were pulled down when the site finally closed in the 60_s, a few of the tech site buildings adjacent to the tower still remain. As do a few odd buildings opposite the main entrance. The old domestic site huts, which were South-West of the base, North of Upton village, have long been demolished. A few hardstandings are visible from the air, but these are not readily accessible as these are now on private farmland. The former bomb stores North-East of site is currently used by a car breakers yard.

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RAF Swinderby

Tue Sep 12 2006

Tuesday 12 September 2006: 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.

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RAF Wigsley

Tue Sep 12 2006

Tuesday 12 September 2006: Some 7 miles West of Lincoln, located just on the other side of the Lincolnshire / Nottinghamshire border, immediately South of the village it takes its name from, lie the remains of former RAF Wigsley. The base opened in 1942 as a bomber airfield, but continued to have an active post war role as a relief landing ground for nearby Swinderby until 1958, when the site was finally decomisioned and sold off. The airfield is partially dissected by Wigsley Road, which had to be closed during the war years, as it cuts off the top of the main NE-SW runway. The old control tower, which is unique in that it's of a rare 3-storey design, still stands, albeit in an extremely run-down state. As do other odd buildings and sections of peri-track, though most of the runways have long been churned up and the majority of buildings demolished. Most of the former main airfield is actually now a piggery. Several domestic site buildings North of site still remain on private farmland, and there are still some remains of the old bomb stores and technical site in Wigsley wood to the North-West, however many of these are now private or commercial properties and so not readily available to photograph.

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RAF Harlaxton

Mon Sep 11 2006

Monday 11 September 2006: Very little remains of this former fighter station, which was located about a mile South-East of Harlaxton village, approximately 3 miles South-West of Grantham. It originally opened in 1916 as an RFC aerodrome, but with the onset of WW2, was expanded in 1941 by the RAF as a sattelite station and relief landing ground for nearby RAF Spittlegate. The base closed shortly after the wars end in 1945 and has since reverted to agriculture. Today only a single hut and a couple of air raid shelters remain of this once busy site. Everything else has long been demolished.

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RAF Metheringham

Sun Sep 10 2006

Sunday 10 September 2006: One of the many temporary airfields built around Lincolnshire during WW2, the remains of former RAF Metheringham can be found 2 miles South-East of the village, which is some 10 miles North of Sleaford (or 10 miles South-East of Lincoln) adjacent to the B1189 road. The airfield opened mid war in 1943 as a bomber airfield and closed again some 3 years later in 1946 following the wars end. Several of the old tech site, buildings built around the B1189, which also formed part of it's Western perimiter track, still remain and in good condition, having been converted into induistrial units. The remains of the old control tower, which has been partially demolished, are visible from the old NE-SW runway and a memorial to the old base can be found on what was once the old Eastern perimiter track, both of which are now public roads. There is a small museum to the old airfield located on the former domestic site next to Westmoor farm, West of the B1189, which is open during the Summer. For more information and details of opening times, checkout their website link on my main page.

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RAF Cranwell

Sun Sep 10 2006

Sunday 10 September 2006: One of the few remaining active stations in the county, the base's origins date back to WW1 when it opened in 1916 as a Navy flight Training Station named HMS Daedelus. But following the wars end in 1918 it was taken over by the newly formed Royal Air Force, and subsequently renamed "RAF College Cranwell" after the nearby village. Located about a mile West of the village, some 4 miles North-West of Sleaford, the camp is built around the B1429 road. With the flying field located to the South, sandwiched between the A17, and the Main college hall located to the North. There is a small museum just South of the A17, across from the main airfield, on Heath Farm named the "Cranwell Aviation Heritage Centre" which is open during the summer and chronicles the history of Cranwell and the RAF in Lincolnshire. Checkout their website link on my main page for more information and details of opening times.

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RAF Coningsby

Sun Jul 23 2006

Sunday 23 July 2006: RAF Coningsby is one of the half dozen or so active airfields remaining in Lincolnshire today. The base opened in 1939 as a bomber airfield, but in the late 60_s was redeveloped into a fighter station. During the 80_s, the base was well known as being the home to the Tornado aircraft and more recently has become home to the new Typhoon Euro-fighter, which has attracted scores of plane spotters to the area. The base is also famous for being home to the legendary _Battle of Britain Memorial Flight_ which boasts one of the last remaining fully flying Lancaster Bomber_s in the world and also includes numerous flying Spitfire and Hurricane aircraft, as well as a Dakota troop carrier. Being an active RAF station, most of the airifield pictures were taken from outside the base using a zoom lens. The pictures showing the original control tower were taken summer 2005, this has since been demolished and operations moved to the new tower next to it. The Memorial flight hanger is open to the public at certain times for guided tours, for more information checkout their website on my links section.

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RAF Woodhall

Wed Jul 19 2006

Wednesday 19 July 2006: RAF Woodhall can be found 2 miles South of Woodhall Spa village, alongside the B1192 road. The site originally opened in 1942 as a bomber airfield, but was redeveloped into a Bloodhound missile base in 1957. The base was wound down in 1965 after these missiles were taken out of service, though part of the old site was retained by the RAF as an engine testing facility for nearby Coningsby, which utilises the hangers and buildings on the Western part of the site near the road. However, the main tech site to the South was demolished sometime after the flying field_s closure in the 60_s and the old airfield itself sold to Butterly Aggregates who have quarried out most of the old field and broken up the runways for use as hardcore. Indeed, very little remains to indicate the airfields former use. The old bomb stores to the North of the old airfield are located in forestry commission woodland and still contain the old loading ramps and store huts, which are accessible from Kirby Lane/Moor Lane, though you_ll have to hike through over _ mile of woods to get to the old bomb store area. Parts of the old domestic sites to the South of the airfield, built around North Road, still exist but in a very run down state. The old Sergeants Mess in Tattershall Thorpe, next to the B1192, has actually been redeveloped as a wartime museum to the old site. A memorial to RAF Woodhall is located next to the Museum Entrance, a memorial to the famous 617 Dambusters Squadron can be found next to the crossroads in Woodhall Spa village. If you wish to visit Thorpe Camp museum, checkout their website on my links page.

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RAF Balderton

Sat Jul 15 2006

Saturday 15 July 2006: Located 2 miles South of Newark in neighbouring Nottinghamshire, about half a mile South-West of the village where it takes it's name from, lies the remains of former RAF Balderton. The airfield was open between 1941-1945 and today very, very few traces of the old airfield can be found. The A1 now cuts through the East of the old site, seperating the flying field from the old tech site. The old main entrance to the East of the site can still be made out South of the farm on the A6065 (which originally part of the A1 before it was realigned in the 60's) and one old hut still remains nearby, but the remaining buildings have long been demolished and the site returned to farmland. The outlines of the old peri-track and parts of the runways on the flying field, now West of the A1, can just about be made out from the air, however there is virtually nothing at ground level to indicate the areas former use. North-West of the site has been heavily excavated by a quarrying firm, and the South East reverted to agriculture apart from a few traces of track and one old pill box on the South of the airfield. The former Balderton Hospital, which lies opposite the A6065 to the North of the site, was taken over as officers quarters for the duration of the war. However, this too has since been redeveloped into an old folks home and all outer buildings demolished to make way for a housing estate.

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RAF Coleby Grange

Sun May 7 2006

Sunday 7 May 2006: The old control tower of former RAF Coleby Grange, which sits behind the Nocton Heath truckstop on the A15, is a familiar sight with people travelling between Sleaford and Lincoln and is actually the building that triggered my interest in the RAF in Lincolnshire The airfield was open between 1940-1963 and was originally built as a fighter station, having only grass runways. The site was redeveloped in the late 50_s as a Thor missile base, only to close in 63 after Thor missile_s where taken out of service. The site is located about 8 miles South of Lincoln, about 3 miles down the road from RAF Waddington. Apart from the control tower, there are very few other remains. The perimeter track, accessible from a gate on the South of the site along the B1202, is still mostly intact and the old fire tender shed next to the control tower remains in a derelict state. On Eastern side of the A15 a former T1 hanger remains, which is currently being used as farm storage. North Kesteven District Council had erected a marker panel and an information board, showing the airfield layout, in the adjacent truckstop car park at Nocton Heath. However, since these pictures were taken the information board has sadly been vandalised and the marker panel removed. If you wish to visit the site for yourself, please note that the control tower is on private property, and the land owners request that people don_t go any further than the truck stop car park.

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RAF Waddington

Sun May 7 2006

Sunday 7 May 2006: Waddington is one of few RAF stations still in active use in Lincolnshire today. Situated East of Waddington village, about 5 miles South of Lincoln city centre between the A15 and A607 roads. The base originally opened in 1916 as an airfield for the RFC and is one of the oldest stations in the county. Though there was a brief period of inactivity after WW1, it became fully functional again early 1920_s, and was later expanded. During WW2 the base served as a bomber station and today is home to several AWAC and Nimrod surveillance squadron_s and claims to be one of the RAF_s busiest operational airfields. There is a viewing area opposite the airfield along the A15 close to the northern end of the runway, where aviation enthusiasts can view aircraft taking off and landing. This is where many of these pictures where taken from. Other pictures were taken during the annual Waddington Airshow, which allowed me access to take close ups of the old control towers. If you fancy attending the Waddington Airshow for yourself, this is usually held during the last weekend of June. More details can be found on the Waddington Airshow website on the links section.

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RFC/RAF Bracebridge Heath.

Sun May 7 2006

Sunday 7 May 2006: The former Bracebridge Heath aerodrome, located on the Southern outskirts of Lincoln just up the road from nearby RAF Waddington on the A15, was originally built in 1916 as a private airstrip by aircraft manufacturers Robey and Co. But in 1918 the premises were acquired by the RFC who turned it into a military airfield. The buildings were built adjacent to the A15, with the flying field behind it to the East. Although flying operations ceased after WW1, the technical site was enlarged by the RAF during WW2 for use as a repair shop by nearby Waddington to rebuild its damaged Lancaster bombers. During WW2 it was quite a common site to see aircraft being towed along the A15 between Waddington and Bracebridge Heath, and the council had to erect special _collapsible_ signposts along this stretch of road to prevent them being knocked over by the aircraft wings. The Bracebridge Heath works closed sometime after WW2 around 1947, but many of the old WW2 buildings still survive and form part of an industrial estate that now occupies the site.

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RAF Syerston

Sun Apr 30 2006

Sunday 30 April 2006: Located over the county border adjacent to a stretch of the A46 known as the Fosse Way, just up the road from former RAF Newton, Syerston is the last (semi) active RAF base to be found in neighbouring Nottinghamshire. Wedged between the A46 and the river Trent about a mile West of the village from where it takes it name, some 6 miles South-West of Newark, Syerston opened in 1940 as a bomber airfield, but post war became a flying training school up until 1971. Today the airfield is used by RAF Cranwell as a glider training school for air-cadets, but apart from this sees no other operational use. The old control tower, a couple of hangers, and a handful of old admin buildings are all that remain. The other buildings on the site were all demolished in 1997. The former domestic site South of the base has been sold off and is now a private housing estate, the old Sergeant_s mess on the opposite side of the A46 is currently derelict.

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RAF Newton

Sun Apr 30 2006

Sunday 30 April 2006: Located over the county border, about 8 miles East of Nottingham along the A46. RAF Newton, which takes its name from the adjacent village, opened in 1940 as an RAF base, having been built on the site of a pre-war civil airfield. It originally opened as a bomber airfield, but mid-war became a flight training school and continued in this capacity up until its closure in 2000. During the war, Newton was unique in that it was the only Military airfield in Nottingham with grass runways, and prior to its closure was also the last fully active RAF base in the county. Today the site is a private industrial estate and the buildings are being converted into offices and storage space, the old control tower still stands and at the time of writing was being renovated into offices. One of the old hangers was actually used by the BBC to film the popular program _Robot Wars_ in. The domestic site on the North of site near the main entrance is now a housing estate, however the domestic site on the East side of the base is in a derelict state, having been extensively vandalised. The old grass airfield on the West side has since reverted to agriculture. Please note that being a private industrial estate, the site is not readily accessible to the public and security only allow persons in who are on offical buisiness. These pics were obtained only after gaining permission from security. Pictures of the Eastern domestic site and rear of the tech site were obtained from a public footpath that runs along the North East side of the base. The long shot view of the hanger taken from a field to the North.

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RAF Fiskerton

Mon Apr 24 2006

Monday 24 April 2006: RAF Fiskerton was open between 1943-1945 and is located about half a mile North of the village, some 5 miles East of Lincoln. Very little remains of the former airfield, which has since reverted to agriculture, but parts of the runway and perimeter track are still intact and are dissected by Reepham road, which runs between Fiskerton and Reepham (which had to be closed during the war years). The hangers and most of the buildings have been pulled down over the years, the control tower being demolished in 1978, but a couple of the old accommodation site buildings on the South-East side of the airfield, accessible from Hall Lane, still stand but in a very dilapidated state. The old rifle range on the North side of the airfield, accessible from Moor Lane, is still there and is currently being used by a private gun club. The bomb stores, which are located half a mile North of the airfield, on a road East of Reepham village (also called Moor lane just to confuse matters) are still there, but somewhat overgrown. Part of the former site was actually bought back by the MOD in 1960, who used it to build a 3 storey deep Nuclear Bunker. However this was closed down in 1992 when the cold war came to an end and today is owned by a firearms firm, who use it for manufacturing specialist ammunition and police training. A memorial to the old Airfield can be found at the side of Reepham road, North of the village, next to one of the dissecting runways

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RAF(H) Rauceby

Sun Apr 23 2006

Sunday 23 April 2006: Although the former hospital at Rauceby is better known as being a mental health facility, I have included it here as during the war and early post war years, 1940_1947, it was taken over by the RAF for use as a military hospital. Located about 2 miles South-East of Sleaford just off the A153, the building originally opened in 1902 as a Victorian-style Lunatic Asylum named Kestevan Mental Hospital, which was later renamed Rauceby after the nearby village. In 1940, with the onset of World War 2, the building was acquired by the RAF, and the inmates transferred to other facilities. For the duration of the war, it became No4 RAF Hospital Rauceby and was run by medical staff from nearby RAF Cranwell, primarily as a Crash and Burns Unit for the pilots in Lincolnshire. During this time, pioneering plastic surgeon Archibald McIndoe worked there and many of his patients became members of the famous Guinea Pig Club (basically a drinking club made up of McIndoe_s early patients). The RAF left a couple of years after the wars end in 1947, and the building was handed over to the (then) newly formed National Health Service, for use as a mental health facility again. Rauceby hospital was closed in 1997 following a major restructure in how the NHS provided Mental Health Care. Though some of the outer buildings away from the complex are still in use, the main site is currently being demolished to make way for a housing estate. A memorial scroll commemorating the buildings work as an RAF Hospital during 1940-1947 was on display in the entrance hall to the main building, but this was moved to Orchard House, one of the outer buildings, just prior to its closure in the late 90_s. I believe Orchard House is one of the facilities still in use, however I am not sure if the memorial is still there (if anyone knows, please contact me). These pictures show what remained of the old hospital during early summer 2006.

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RAF Bardney

Sat Apr 22 2006

Saturday 22 April 2006: The remains of former RAF Bardney can be found about 1.5 miles North-East of the village, which is some 10 miles East of Lincoln, between the B1202 and Henry lane, which is where the former main entrance can be found. The base opened mid-war in 1943 and operated as a bomber airfield until the wars end in 1945. Post war, it saw little active use until it was redeveloped as a missile base in 1959. The site was eventually closed down by the MOD in 1963 when Thor missiles where taken out of service. Today, the airfield has reverted back to farmland, though the perimeter track remains largely intact, as do the runways, which are now used to house chicken sheds. Though it has been many years since this was home to the RAF, some flying does still takes place at Bardney, in the form of an Aero-Models club which are based in the old control tower, which is still standing and in reasonable condition. Parts of the old technical site remain, which is currently owned by Omex agricultural chemicals. Several old hanger's can also be found around the site, which are being used as storage by various companies. Parts of the old admin/accomodation sites can also be found in wooded areas further down the road, South-East of the old airfield. The old bomb stores in Austacre wood on the North side of the airfield are accessable, though there is little to see apart from some hardstanding and a bit of an old Nissen hut. A memorial to the old station can be found on the village green in centre of Bardney, near the junction of the B1190 and B1202. I would like to take this opportunity to personally thank Ted, from Bardney aero-models club, who very kindly showed me round the old control tower when I visited the site, which allowed me to take some of the fantastic pictures in this collection.

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RAF Skellingthorpe

Sun Oct 2 2005

Sunday 2 October 2005: There are virtually no traces left of this former bomber airfield, which was located 4 miles South-West of Lincoln city centre about 2 miles South-East of Skellingthorpe village between the B1378 and B1190 roads. The airfield was open between 1941-1952. Most of the buildings were demolished immediately after its closure, the rest were pulled down over the years as newer building develpments slowly took over the old site. The old control tower was still standing derilict up until the early 80's, but was pulled down during this time. Today the area is now the Birchwood housing estate and unless you knew of it's previous existence, would never guess this was once a busy RAF station. Although there are still a few traces to be found round the estate if you know where to look. A small section of peri-track remains alongside the playing fields round the back of the Birchwood community centre between Fulmar road and Birchwood avenue. Also, a single dispersal pan survives in Birchwood community park on the South-East corner of the estate. Parts of the old bomb stores remain on the West side of the estate behind Woodfield avenue, though these are now disected by the A46. There's a memorial to the old site in the car park at the Birchwood Community Centre. There's also another one at the nearby Manser school on Woodfield avenue, however this is located inside the school itself and so access is not straighforward. A heritage room, containing photographs, station memoribillia and a layout of the old site can be found down the road in Skellingthorpe village adjacent to Skellingthorpe community centre.

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RAF(H) Nocton Hall

Thu Sep 22 2005

Thursday 22 September 2005: Located close to the centre of Nocton village on the B1202 road, some 7 miles South-East of Lincoln, lies former RAF Hospital Nocton Hall. The Hall itself was a former 18th century manor house, which was acquired by the MOD in 1940 at the start of WW2. Initially it was used by the US army_s medical branch as a _clearing station_ until a proper military hospital was built in the grounds behind it in 1943. Post-war the RAF used it as a general hospital, primarily for treating servicemen from the nearby bases, but it's facilities were also open to members of the public from the surrounding villages. The main Hall itself during this time was used as an officers club for the RAF staff. The hospital was wound down in 1984, though was kept open in a limited capacity by the US air force as a contingency hospital for forces staff, until 1995, when the site was finally disposed of by the MOD. Since its disposal, the site has unfortunately been repeatedly targeted by vandals and arsonists. The former hospital site behind the hall has been broken into and extensively vandalised, and the main hall was gutted by a fire in 2004 when arsonists set it ablaze. In fact, when these pictures were taken 2 of the exterior buildings behind the hall were still smouldering after being set on fire only the night before. A care home operates in buildings within the foregrounds of the estate, whilst Nocton Hall itself is waiting to be repaired/rebuilt. Housing developments are encroaching around the edges of the hospital site to the rear, so it looks like these could soon be demolished to make way for more homes. One thing that struck me about this complex is how big it was, I spent well over an hour looking round and could easily have spent longer. The inside of the hospital is extremely creepy and was like something out of a Hellraiser film. I certainly wouldn't like to visit at night anyway. PLEASE NOTE that since these photos were taken back in 2005, the hospital site is no longer accessable as the local council have padlocked the main gates and re-secured the complex in an attempt to prevent further vandalism. Many thanks to local Peter Murray and former serving members Jeremy West, Rose Calvert and Chris Lawton for their contributions. Incidentally, I'm always interested in hearing from people who served at Nocton, or used it's facilities, so feel free to contact me using the message function on the main page. Be sure to include your email address in the form so I can reply though.

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RAF East Kirkby

Wed Sep 21 2005

Wednesday 21 September 2005: Located some 12 miles North of Boston, just off the A155 road, East of the village from where it takes its name. RAF East Kirkby opened mid-war in 1943 as a bomber airfield and although saw little active use after 1958, didn_t close until 1970. Today, the main site is better known as _The Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre_, having been re-opened in 1995 as a war-time museum. The old control tower has been restored to its war-time specifications, and a new hanger erected on the base of the airfields original. The centre piece of the museum is a fully operational Lancaster bomber, affectionately named _Just Jane_. Few other original buildings remain and different sections of the airfield itself are in the ownership of different farms. 4 of the original T2 hangers built alongside the A155 still exist, though aren't recognisable as they've been re-clad in differant colours. Parts of the airfield to the North-East of the museum are accessible as it_s dissected by the road between Hagnaby to Stickford. The southern part of the main runway remains, but has been reduced to a single track. The northern part is in its original state and currently used for motorbike drag-racing. The subsidiary runways though have since been broken up and removed, but the majority of perimeter track around the field is still intact. If you_re interested in visiting the Museum and seeing their Lancaster for yourself, checkout their website from the link on my main page for opening times.

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RAF Digby

Mon Sep 19 2005

Monday 19 September 2005: Digby is one of the few active RAF bases remaining in Lincolnshire, located some 10 miles North-East of Sleaford (or 10 miles South-East of Lincoln) between the B1191 and the A15 on what was once Scopwick Heath. It originally opened in 1918 as a flying training school named "Scopwick Aerodrome" after the adjacent village, but following the onset of WW2 became an active fighter station and was renamed Digby, after the neighbouring village, to avoid confusion with the similarly named RAF Shotwick in Flintshire. Digby continued as a fighter station and training school until 1954, when it became a "Signals" unit. The grass airfield is still there, but is now home to the many transmitter masts used by the unit. The control tower and two of the hangers were demolished after the war, but one hanger remains on the far side of the field, which is currently used as the station gym. The old Ops building still remains and was re-opened in 1997 as a museum, having been restored to its original WW2 condition. The museum is open to the general public, but access is limited to specific times. As this is still an active RAF station, pictures inside the camp were limited to the memorial and the museum itself, which is a pity as many of the old WW2 station signs around the camp still remain. If you wish to visit the museum yourself, checkout the link on my links page.

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RAF Spilsby

Sat Sep 17 2005

Saturday 17 September 2005: Located adjacent to the village of Monksthorpe about 2.5 miles East of Spilsby itself, some 18 miles North of Boston lies the remains for former RAF Spilsby. This former bomber aifield was open between 1943-1958, though post-war saw little use and was primarily used as a storage facility and base for the non-flying units at nearby East Kirkby. Today the vast majority of this site has been demolished, including the old tower, and most of the runways have been removed. But many traces still remain. One hanger survives and is curently used for farm storage. The old ops block is still there, although this is in a very run down state. Some old buildings to the South of the site remain, though several of these too are very run down. There's a memorial close to where the old control tower once stood on Mill lane, which can be found opposite the junction to School lane. If you're looking to find this site, take the B1195 East of Spilsby and follow the signs for The Heavy Horse centre as this is based on part of the old accomodation site on Sandy Lane.

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RAF Wellingore

Thu Sep 15 2005

Thursday 15 September 2005: 10 miles South of Lincoln, West of the A15 road, just South of the village itself on a country road named "Ermine Street" lies former RAF Wellingore. This grass airfield opened in 1935 and was built on the site of a former WW1 RFC landing ground. The airfield closed in 1945 and reverted almost immediately back to agriculture. Though during the 1950's, a small section of the old airfield was bought back by the MOD and an ROC fall-out monitoring post constructed on it, this closed in 1993 when the ROC was disbanded. Most of the old buildings have long been demolished, but there are still plenty of remains to see. The concrete perimiter track remains, togethor with numerous pillboxes and gun emplacements that encircle it. An old concrete bunker along Ermine street remains, as do some of the old accomodation site buildings on the other side of the field, West of Pottergate rd, though these are now fenced off on private property. A public footpath runs accross part of the airfield, which allowed me access to take most of these photos on my initial visit in 2005. Please note that the Northern section of airfield is very much on private farmland and the photos of this side of the site, which were taken in 2008, were only done so after seeking permission of the farmer, so please do not go barging onto this side of site unless you have permission first.

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RAF Folkingham

Wed Sep 14 2005

Wednesday 14 September 2005: The remains of Folkingham airfield are located about 10 miles South-East of Grantham (10 miles North of Bourne) about 2.5 miles West of the A15 between the villages of Folkingham and Aslackby. The station was open between 1940-1963 and was originally a "decoy" site, before being redeveloped in 1943 as a proper bomber airfield. The station was later turned into Thor missile base in 1959, but finally closed when Thor missiles were taken out of service in 1963. After its closure, the site was briefly used by the British Motor Racing Company as a test circuit for their cars, but after they moved out most of the site was bulldozed and turned back into farmland. Today, the Northern part of the old airfield has almost entirely reverted to agriculture, with most of the runways and peri-tracks removed. The Southern part however is mostly intact in this respect and is used as a vehicle store for "Nelson Green & Sons". A gun club also uses part of the old site as a clay pigeon range. Very few buildings remain, although a few traces can still be found around the old site. Most notably an old B1 hanger and the fire pool pump house on the North-West side. There are several public footpaths that go up to the edge of the old airfield, which allowed me to take some of these photos, however if you're thinking of visiting this site please note that there is no actual public right of way across the airfield itself.

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RAF Kelstern

Tue Sep 13 2005

Tuesday 13 September 2005: Situated a mile North of the village, about 5 miles North-West of Louth, RAF Kelstern was originally a WW1 RFC Emergency Landing Ground, but after the onset of WW2, was developed into a bomber airfield. The new site opened in 1943 but shut just before the end of the war in 1945. Most of the old runways and perimiter tracks have been churned up and the fields used again for farming, but sections still remain, along with a few buildings on the old tech site, which was based around Salters Lane, and are now used as farm stores. A memorial to the site is located close to "Kelstern Crossroads" on what was once the West side of the airfield at the juction of Limber Hill rd. and Salters lane.

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RAF Ludford Magna

Mon Sep 12 2005

Monday 12 September 2005: The remains of this former Bomber airfield are situated immediately South of Ludford Magna village, aproximately 5 miles East of Market Rasen, between the A613 and A157 roads. The airfield opened in 1943, but was redeveloped as a Thor missile base in the late 50's. The site finally closed in 1963 when Thor missiles were taken out of service by the US. Like so many former RAF stations, the old airfield is now used for farming. The old perimiter track is still there, but the main runway has long since been removed, although the subsiduary East-West runway remains, as do the 3 old missile silo's which were built along this stretch. A few buildings still remain on the old technical site, including the old ops block and guardroom, but these are on private property and not readily accessable. The old control tower however, has long been demolished. Many buildings of the former accomodation site, situated North of the A163 road, still exist and have been turned into commercial units. The station was reffered to by the wartime crews as "Mudford Magna" and "Ludford Magma" owing to the state of the airfield everytime it rained (which it did frequently). A memorial to the station can be found in the centre of Ludford Magna village, opposite the Black Horse pub.

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RAF Binbrook

Mon Sep 12 2005

Monday 12 September 2005: Binbrook was open between 1940-1995 and is located about a mile North-West of the village, some 10 miles North-East of Market Rasen. It started life as a bomber airfield, but post WW2 became a jet fighter station and is most famous for being "home" to the British made "Lightning" aircraft. The base was mothballed in 1989, when the Lightning was finally withdrawn from service but stayed open as a releif landing ground for Scampton until 1995, when the site was finally disposed of. Today, the former technical site is now a buisiness park. However, many of the unused buildings have been left to decay, and some are in a very dilapidated state. The control tower was demolished in 1995 when the site was sold, but the hangers still remain and are being used as storage. However, it seems little effort has been given to maintaining these and the exteriors are showing signs of wear. The former airfield has since reverted to agriculture, and many portions of the runway and perimiter track have been broken up for use as hardcore. A memorial to the old station was put up in front of the old 'ident' square, next to where the control tower once stood. However, since these pictures were taken in 2005, it appears to be no longer accessable as the surrounding area has been fenced off for use as a storage compound which Binbrook Lightning Preservation society use. There is also a memorial just outside of Binbrook village centre, and another, the fin of a Lightning, in the grounds of the nearby primary school. Trivia buffs may wish to note, portions of the film "Memphis Belle" were shot here in the late 80's whilst the camp was being wound down by the MOD. Please note that the industrial estate on the former tech site is privately owned and strictly speaking not open to the general public, unless you're there on official buisiness.

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RAF Manby

Sun Sep 11 2005

Sunday 11 September 2005: Located about 5 miles East of Louth next to Manby village, just South of the B1200. RAF Manby was an expansion period airfield, opening prior to the events of World War 2 in 1938 and remained an active post-war RAF base up until 1974 when it was closed due to defence cuts. The former technical site is now a buisiness park owned by East Lindsey District Council and on the whole has been fairly well preserved, with perhaps the exception of the old officers mess which is currently boarded up and vacant. On the airfield side of things, the perimiter track remains, but the runways have been removed and the former hangers have been converted to grain silo's. Part of the airfield site is owned by "Manby Motorplex" who use it for recreational off-road vehicle driving (including former military vehicles) and their offices are based in the old WW2 control tower. The post war control tower on the other end of the site still remains, but has been vandalised. Part of the airfield is used for farming, the south-side next to the post-war control tower also has a dirt-bike racing track.

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RAF Strubby

Sun Sep 11 2005

Sunday 11 September 2005: Located South of Strubby Village, aproximately 10 miles South-East of Louth, between the A157 and B1373 roads. RAF Strubby opened late WW2 in 1944, but continued to be an active airfield, operating as a releif landing ground for nearby Manby, up until 1972. Differant parts of the airfield are in differant ownerships. Most of the old field has reverted to agriculture, though parts of the main runway still exist and are used by a glider club which operates on the old airfield. The old control tower still stands, which was in a dilapedated state up until 2006, but has since been renovated and is now a private dwelling. All 3 hangers still exist, 2 of which on the former main technical site have been reclad. One of which is used as a farm stores, the other is home to Woodthorpe Aquatic Centre. The third, which is on the North-East side of the field, is in its original condition and used for storing grain. Most of the original buildings on the technical/admin side still exist, though many are run down, and are used as farm stores. The perimiter track which runs around the airfield is still intact, part of which is used for go-karting. Part of the Northern peri-track has been renovated and is used today as a private helicopter strip. Part of the old domestic site still stands on private farmland to the South-West of site, however the farmer does not allow access to these. He did however permit me to take a few long distance shots from his private access road though (many thanks to the owners of wood farm). Please note that the recent photos of the control tower, now being a private house, were taken only after seeking permission from the home owners. A big thankyou to the gentleman in question.

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RAF Market Stainton

Sun Sep 11 2005

Sunday 11 September 2005: Market Stainton, located adjacent to the village of the same name approximately 9 miles South-West of Louth, was a munitions dump for the airfields in the Eastern parts of Lincolnshire. The bombs were simply stored along the grass verges of the main road to the east of the village, which required it to be blocked off from both ends. The bombs were carried to and from the nearby railway station by lorry. The bomb dump was open between 1943-1948 and the camp itself was built in a nearby field East of the village. Today, a single hut is all that remains of this once busy site. Even the nearby railway station has closed down.

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RAF Stenigot

Sat Sep 10 2005

Saturday 10 September 2005: Based high on the Lincolnshire wolds, aproximately 5 miles South-East of Louth, RAF Stenigot opened in 1940 as a WW2 Radar station. The site operated for this purpose until 1959, before being redeveloped as a Nato communications relay station. The site finally closed around 1991 after advances in modern technology made the facility redundant. The original site contained 4 giant tranmitter masts, and 2 generator/receiving blocks. 3 of the masts were dismantled and replaced with large parabolic dishes when the site was redeveloped in 1959. The newer buildings built during this time were buldozed and the dishes uprooted in 1996 when the site was finally disposed of, however many of the older structures still remain. The original radar mast has been retained by the MOD, standing in a fenced off compound, and is used for training purposes by the aerial erector school at RAF Digby. Apparently its possible to see Lincoln Cathedral, the North Sea and even the Humber bridge from the top of the tower, which stands 110m (365ft) high! A public footpath runs around the back of the existing compound and down to what's left of the old communications site, which allowed me access to take these photos.

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RAF Ossington

Fri Sep 9 2005

Friday 9 September 2005: Situated over the county border in neighbouring Nottinghamshire next to the village of Ossington, very little remains of this former WW2 airfield, which is located about 8 miles North West of Newark. The airfield was open between 1942-1946 and is disected by the B1164 road which actually follows parts of the main runways. The buildings on the site have long been demolished, though a few remnants still exist. Most of the old runways, except those parts the main road follows, have been churned up and the site returned to farmland, though the perimiter track still remains, along with a few bits and pieces in the bomb stores in North Wood, which is to the North of the site alongside Moorhouse road.

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RAF Winthorpe

Fri Sep 9 2005

Friday 9 September 2005: Former RAF Winthorpe is located just over the Lincolnshire county boundary in Nottinghamshire, next to the village of Winthorpe, which is on the North East corner of Newark on Trent. The site was open between 1940-1959 and many parts of the old airfield still remain. Though sadly, the old control tower was demolished when they re-routed the A17 to go around Newark, which now cuts through the Southern part of the airfield, and many other hangers and buildings have been knocked down over the years. Most of the runways do still exist, though are dissected by various roads and owing to its close proximity to the A1 and A46, building developments are beginning to encroach on the West side of the site. The main part of the old airfield itself is currently used as Newark Showground. The main East-West runway is used by Newark glider club, and part of the East side is home to Newark Air Museum. A memorial to the old airfield can be found on the museum site.

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RFC Leadenham

Fri Sep 9 2005

Friday 9 September 2005: Leadenham was a 1st World War airfield, situated about 10 miles East of Newark, and located less than a mile East of Leadenham village itself. The airstrip was a simple grass field and was open between 1916-1919. It did not re-open during WW2. No traces remain of this former flying field, although North Kesteven District Council have erected a marker panel on the junction of Pottergate road and Long lane on what would have been the north east corner of the old field.

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RAF Fulbeck

Wed Sep 7 2005

Wednesday 7 September 2005: RAF Fulbeck is located about 8 miles East of Newark, approximately 2 miles south of the main A17 road, near to the village of Stragglethorpe (Fulbeck village, from where it takes it's name, is actually a further 3 miles to the East). This bomber airfield first opened in 1940, and remained active after WW2 as a relief landing ground for nearby Cranwell until 1970, when it finally closed. Part of the old site is still owned by the MOD, and used as a training area for nearby Beckingham Army camp. Though the old control tower, and majority of other buildings, have long been demolished. But many traces of the old airfield remain. The old MT shed survives, along with a few blast shelters. The perimeter track and parts of the main runways are still visible, although part of this is now home to a couple of go-kart tracks, which have been built on the southern side. The rest of the site has been turned back into farmland. A memorial to the site sits next to the old main entrance on Stragglethorpe road.

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RAF Waltham (Grimsby)

Mon Jul 4 2005

Monday 4 July 2005: Located about 8 miles South of Grimsby, adjacent to Holton le Clay 1 mile South-East of the village from where it takes it's name, is the site of former RAF Waltham. This former bomber airfield was built on the site of a pre-war civil aerodrome and was operational between 1941-1946. Many units on the former technical site, accessable from Cheapside road, have since been converted into commercial premesis, though many others are currently derelict, or in need of renovation. The old control tower is still there, albeit somewhat dilapidated, which is currently being used as a storage compound. Most of these photos were taken in 2005, however since then, several of the old airmens huts, along with the fire tender shed and some decaying huts on the North of the site (not pictured) have been demolished, so a return visit was made in 2007 to see what remained. Much of the Northern side of the airfield has reverted to agriculture, and the A16 road cuts through the Eastern side, though the outlines of the runways and perimeter tracks are largely still visable. A converted T2 hanger and Orlit Hut remain on the East side of the A16, though they're hard to distinguish. A memorial to the old airfield can be found next to the A16 in a layby, adjacent to the traffic lights, on the Northern part of the airfield. The museum of Rural life in Waltham village, adjacent to the windmill, is based on the former domestic site in what is the last survivng Nissen hut and houses an exhibit to the RAF station, however this is only open at weekends and late afternoons, so getting to see it is kind of awkward.

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RFC Anwick

Thu May 5 2005

Thursday 5 May 2005: Former WW1 airfield, active between 1916-1942 located North of the village, aproximately 1.5 miles East of Ruskington. Today very little remains. Although there is a private grass airstrip on part of what was once the old aerodrome.

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RAF Bottesford

Wed Apr 27 2005

Wednesday 27 April 2005: RAF Bottesford was open between 1941-1945 and is located just north of Bottesford village on the Normanton road, sitting on the borders of Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicesteshire. The main airfield, which encompases the technical site, was purchased from the MOD in the early 50's by the Roseland group and today is used as a buisiness/industrial park. All original hangers and buildings still exist and have been painstakingly renovated and preserved by the owners, re-clad in the original RAF green. Indeed, entering the site was rather like being on the set of "The Dambusters", and you could almost be fooled into thinking this was still an active WW2 RAF base, except that the hangers that once housed the mighty Lancaster and Halifax bombers are now home to haulage, storage and steelworking firms. Only a few buildings on the site waiting to to be restored remain unrenovated. Although most of the old accomodation blocks, which existed on dispersed sites outside of the airfield (not owned by the Roseland group), have since been demolished, though a few still exist as farm stores. Most of the pictures here were taken in 2004, since then the Roseland group have built a new set of offices in front of the old guardroom in the form of an Australian RAAF control tower. A return visit was made in 2006 in order to photograph this and I was also able at this time to get permission from the local farmer to photograph what remained of the old domestic site buildings. Please note that the buisiness park is private property and so is not generally open to the public. Entry is restricted to persons on official business only, so I would like to personally thank Claire from the Roseland group for making this visit possible and for showing me round. In addition, I must also stress that the former domestic site buildings are on private farmland which are not open to the public. I was only able to photograph them after seeking special permission from the land owners (which was NOT easy), so please do not try and gain entry onto these sites without asking first and don't expect permission to be automatic (if at all).

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