Old RFC landing ground in Anwick

Hi All,

Almost 20 years late posting on this forum, but thought if anybody was still wanting information & or interested then let me know.

I have just moved house and within the grounds was a former pumping station (Brick built, tile roof and in need of some love) & Holding tank (Concrete built)

There also used to be an old water tower 1800’s providing water to surrounding area which had since been demolished around the time the pumping station was built, with only the footings remaining.

Pumping Station – Not sure on its age but looks early 1900’s, with a raised concrete base inside that used to hold pumps, pipework & large signal cables to the holding tank.

Holding Tank – This large cast concrete tank 4x8x2m now showing its age, has metal pipework connecting to the pumping station and terracotta pipework out  that leads in the direction of the former anwick site.

I believe this was used to provide emergency water to the airfield when required, hence the holding tank.

I can provide more pictures if anyone is interested as i am looking for more information myself, as looking to restore… (One day)

Pictures

1 & 2 – Pumping Station

3 & 4 – Holding Tank

5 & 6 – Inside pumping station

7 – Shows base of old water tower

Kind Regards

Kristian 

cheers, I’ll have a wander around… Neil

Anyone been to Bardney ? is there anything left there?
Neil.

Most of the main infrastucture is. The hangars are still there, as is the tower, the lower floor of which is used as a clubhouse for the model flying club. The runways are covered by sheds, and much of the peri track is gone…

Anyone been to Bardney ? is there anything left there?
Neil.

Lots!, both from WWII and the Thor Era, have a look at these:

http://lincolnshireairfields.fotopic.net/

http://www.oldairfields.fotopic.net/

1 – Is an interesting sign on a garden center building, could it be the same Bolton Paul who built aircraft years ago ?

It’s a reference to the shed, not to the aircraft company. Boulton and Paul were (and are – you occasionally see their trucks) a engineering and woodworking company set up in Norwich. In W.W.I they set up an aircraft arm, for obvious reasons, and in 1934 Boulton Paul Aircraft Ltd was set up. The aircraft company are often refered to as Boulton & Paul or correctly Boulton Paul; but the use of the ‘and’ by the company was always by the engineering and woodwork form. And they make sheds…

HTH!

vicky ten’s right – they aren’t WW1 garden centre buildings I’m afraid Andrew!

Plenty of other (WW2) airfields in the vicinity to poke around if you’re interested though.

Anyone been to Bardney ? is there anything left there?
Neil.

No, I totally forgot about it, very busy at work etc, not very good of me really as I had mentioned it a few times on various forums. No doubt I will get a grilling from the other FOMA/MAVC members this weekend! At least my membership is up to date.

Did you go?

yep, really good presentation by Mr John Smith from team currently working on the Blenheim… I’m not a member of FOMA but try to get along to their events..
Neil

Were you at the talk the other night ref the Blenheim..??
Neil

No, I totally forgot about it, very busy at work etc, not very good of me really as I had mentioned it a few times on various forums. No doubt I will get a grilling from the other FOMA/MAVC members this weekend! At least my membership is up to date.

Did you go?

Indeed there is a multitude of them. If you are in the area on sunday, pop along to Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre open day, I shall be doing my best to answer questions about the former RAF Station.

Were you at the talk the other night ref the Blenheim..??
Neil

Ha – once I saw the B&P sign I knew where it was – I was dragged down to that garden centre a couple of years ago…

Yeah looks like that’s the end of my search for RFC Anwick, anyway talking of old airfields when I go to Waddo on Tuesday I will get some photos of the Avro / RAF Bracebridge Heath site, before anymore of it gets pulled down.

Indeed there is a multitude of them. If you are in the area on sunday, pop along to Metheringham Airfield Visitor Centre open day, I shall be doing my best to answer questions about the former RAF Station.

I am pretty sure nothing at all remains of the original RFC Anwick. The landing ground was situated a mile NNW of the village church at OS TF110515, which places it quite a way from the garden centre or farm (and current airstrip). Vehicle access was said to be from the Ruskington fen Road (to the North).

During it’s construction trees were felled and telegraph wire was run to the site from Ruskington village (and not Anwick!). There were no permanant buildings, but the airfield covered 54 acres, and had basic lighting from petrol soaked rags. After WW1 it was abandoned, along with RFC Leadenham and the original RNAS landing ground at Wellingore.

With the onset of WWII it was rigged as a decoy for RAF Digby (K-site), and was manned by 8 Airmen who were billeted in local houses, apparantly being abandoned in August 1942, along with the other newly redundant local decoy sites at Dorrington, Branston fen and Willoughby Walks

… could it be the same Bolton Paul who built aircraft years ago ?

Yes

Moggy

Sorry for bringing this back up, but today I visited family in Anwick and went and got some photos of the garden center buildings I believe were the old RFC buildings and the strip of concrete that I believe was the original WW1 Anwick runway.

I think however the runway would have been a grass strip and after the war became a farm track before being concreted over at some point.

1 – Is an interesting sign on a garden center building, could it be the same Bolton Paul who built aircraft years ago ?

2 – A garden center building a possible old Anwick aerodrome building ?

3 – This concrete track is on the site of what I think was the original Anwick grass strip.

4 – This area leads from the concrete track in photo 3 to the back of the garden center and might be related to the old Anwick aerodrome or it might not.

5 – A view of the oldest looking garden center building.

6 – Another view of the oldest looking garden center.

Thanks everyone for fleshing out the sketchy details so far. I do not doubt there are some more good sources out there waiting to be found, or more accurately, waiting for time to be found! The Anwick RFC Landing Ground sign looks to be one of the North Kesteven Airfield Trail type that is also at – for example – Leadenham Aerodrome and RAF Coleby Grange. These are usually placed where they can be seen from public rights of way and may not be exactly on the historical airfield site.

Here’s an aerial photo of the present site.

If someone could post some photos of these buildings, I’ll see if I can identify them as being of RFC/RAF origin.

Do you think that the Garden Center buildings were in fact old RFC Anwick hangers or buildings connected with the aerodrome ?

Personally I say yes but if anyone knows for sure then please let us know.

Sign located at Grid TF 115523

Current airstrip adjacent to Garden centre and Church Grid TF114508

Andrewman’s info is accurate, I have marked the current strip in purple, the position of the sign as a green dot and the area I believe to have been the former aerodrome in pink.