Airfield preservation

The trouble with the UK is we are blessed with 400+ sites of aviation interest or history, there are around 70 museums/collections with scores of aircraft dotted around the Country, – over the years, we’ve lost a great deal & sadly are bound to lose some more! (This of course excludes most Army or Navy non-aviation sites which are just as important, but suffer even greater threat of being lost).

However IMHO it is possible that we can almost halt, or even reverse some this by co-operation between tri- service, national & private museums & other bodies such as M.V.T. National Trust & UK heritage trusts , coupled with a strive to make these sites fashionable.

To me the key to this our love fornostalgia & heritage ;- let me ( Think out of the box :rolleyes:) and try to create for a moment what I’d envisage as an achieveable set of goals.

Start lobbying for a series of national heritage trails or even “blue plaque” everything – where a former airfield, navy base or barracks stands, or stood, only to be replaced by agriculture, housing or industrial estate, make it compulsary for the developers to erect a memorial to the sites original role- a good example of this can be found at site of the former Budbrooke Army Camp in Warwickshire.

Pool our current transportable resources– instead of the nationals expecting every visitor to go to their sites, which given the current economic climate, is even more difficult – have a “road show” of easily transportable exhibits & take them to other Cities, Towns & Museums, schools or even larger retail parks – yes I favour having wartime history on the national curriculum.

For example the recent move of artifacts from Lambeth to Duxford, to me instead of taking just 6 months to carry out the improvement work, they could have spread it over a longer period. during the available time the IWM could have taken the bomber cockpits & fighter aircraft etc, on a national tour- i.e. “Victory Week” style.*

Dare I say it, but even go so far as to use the CASA 111 as a travelling exhibit, bring it up to B of B Luftwaffe standard (but say what it is you have done to the aircraft, replica Jumo nacelles,of course ) & take it on a “Blitz tour” of those Cities & Towns that were targeted by the Luftwaffe.*

Involve smaller museums to act as a base in a mutual effort to show off these national treasures as well as their own, if need be have long term loans of some desirable artifacts – the smaller museums then acting as “stepping Stones” for potential Visitors, i.e. mutual advertisement benefitting guest & host ammineties.

[B]*To be honest, if they did this in wartime to raise funds & awareness when resources were scarce,why can’t it be done now?*[/B]

The RAFM has so much stuff in store that it could do something similar;- for starters they have at least 4 spare Spitfires, currently acting as dust platforms, that could relatively cheaply, be made into travelling exhibits- let’s face it from the public point of veiw they’re so iconic, that they would create a great deal of interest by their presence alone.( besides am I biased on this one- I’d love to see one at my local museum- even if it was for a week.)*

Encourage the involvment of interested Celebs & VIP’s;- If James May can do what he did with a 1:1 plastic “kit”, what could a group of interested others do for those who volunteer to preserve our aviation past?

Let’s push the positive boundaries out– instead of whinging about this or that Council or Mr J who chose to move into his house then complain about the noise of a Merlin- invite them in & show them the importance of this legacy.

These are only a few of my ideas, please give them some thought, but let’s hear yours as well.

regards Rad.

St Mawgan

Pagen; why do you think that SM becoming NQ Airport is not ‘protecting’ things.
It is still an active airfield and i would suggest has a better future as such rather than becoming an army camp.(check out how many of those you can land on nowadays).
An airfield is about AIRCRAFT,and that is the reason for their existence.
When an airfield turns into an industrial or housing estate it loose’s that ‘open aspect’ that make airfields what they are.Not only that, it is the aircraft and crews that flew from the base’s that are the significant point, especially for those that did not return.
An airfields history is about the activity and its human aspects,not just the buildings.
What is a scandal is how many useful buildings (including housing) have been abandoned when the MOD leave an,area and then fall into deriliction.
SM was really a cold war airfield ( as St Eval was the main CC base during WW2),and most people will remember it as a home for Lancasters, Shackletons, and Nimrods in their AS role, plus the other NATO types that rotated through in a similar role.It was at the ‘sharp end’ of the very real W-pact submarine threat for decades, and as such was very much on the front line complete with its own comprehensive weapons bunkers (still there).
It was also A MDA and therefore has a legacy of ‘being available’ if needed.
I would suggest that its current use has kept that ‘spirit’ alive very well.

Thanks for all the interest in the thread.

The preservation of the buildings is of course valuable, even if it is conservation as opposed to restoration – a dilapidated building can often be equally evocative. But it is equally important that the airfield is preserved in context. All of the smaller structures, bunkers gun etc emplacements are also logged. The hangars , towers, aprons, offices and runways are all important but every building is also important in it’s relationship to the others around it which obviously influenced it use.

A prime example, although, not aviation related, is in Basingstoke. A super little building designed by Edwin Lutyens (he of war grave and cenotaph fame) has been preserved, but has been lost in amongst industrial units and concrete. So whilst the building is still there it has been ruined by everything towering over it. How many people know its there?

Same goes for airfields, preserving the buildings is vital, but the land around them is equally important – a control tower without a view over the airfield loses its context.

I think I will see what is available from English Heritage on the matter. As soon as new buildings creep into an airfield from the perimeters, the whole atmosphere will change.

Will get off my soap box now…

As a collection of information on airfields, their current status, and level of preservation the Airfield Information Exchange and it’s related Airfield Research Group (with a considerable archive) is definitely the main body concerned with preservation and auditing.
They also work with English Heritage, The National Archives, and other national collections to try and keep a handle on all the information out there.
They can of course only advise English Heritage, but this does seem to be bearing fruit in the case of some buildings and sites such as the recent Thor launch site (RAF Harrington?) that gained listing status.

Re St Mawgan, I don’t quite understand how St Mawgan becoming Newquay Airport protects things, the process saw considerable landscaping changes and the loss of some old buildings air side of the fence.
The RAF side of the camp still has a handful of WWII era buildings left, but I know one of these was scheduled to come down.
The original RAF Trebelzue airfield area still houses some unusual original buildings, but I fear for the future of that site.
For my part I collect and research any information pertaining to the airfield and did have it presented on a website, unfortunately that has folded but I will reinstate it eventually.

St Athan is another site I have interest in, and is a good example of despite still being an operational station, classic Expansion Era buildings are continually being lost, of course reality dictates that there is very little that can be done about this, but to archive and record these sites and buildings does at least help tp preserve the memory.

As shown in the posts above, many airfields have thankfully got dedicated groups and individuals commited to perpetuating the memory.

BTW, if you want to visit a deserted airfield, in my own opinion Davidstow Moor in North Cornwall is hard to beat, it’s remoteness, and lonely watch office makes for an atmosphere all of its own.

Have a look here – lots of info ….
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/forum.php

WOW! I live in Paignton never realized By-planes on the green early 1900’s and the Anson 1940. Whew thanks for the links.:)

Check out the link in post #2 – people within AiX-ARG have done more than most to get listed status for a variety of airfield buildings.

Not aware of one but now is the time. Our engineering heritage has not been valued in the past and much has been allowed to be destroyed. Over the last ten to twenty years I think there has been a massive increase in public awareness of our great engineering past which is reflected in the ever growing number of restored
aeroplanes and steam engines, reopened canals and railway lines. This is extending to new builds both in steam and planes and an ever increasing number of museums. This is all great but we must stop the destruction of what is left before it is too late as developers, aware of this increasing interest, now tend to pull down as quickly as possible to avoid getting embroiled in debate. Of course, you cannot save everything but some examples have very historic significance and at the very least should be comprehensively surveyed. RAF Sealand South Camp is a good example where I understand a survey was originally promised but demolition started without warning and all is now gone.
http://www.28dayslater.co.uk/forums/showthread.php/58435-RAF-Sealand/page2

An RAF Swingate radar mast was taken down without warning however, since then the site has been listed although this may not save the remaining masts.
http://www.kenthistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=4392.0

We have the Statutory List of Buildings of special Architectural or Historic Interest and the Scheduled Ancient Monuments do these or could they provide a class of listing which would at least require full documentation/survey before demolition. Or does this already exist as you hear of excavations being halted to allow archaeological digs.

Presumably what is needed is a body of active enthusiasts that could document and present cases to these organisations to allow at least documentation before demolition.

Ah well I suppose one can dream on, until it is too late.

My own site regarding RAF Hunsdon, RAF Sawbridgeworth, and USAAF Matching Green.
www.wartime-airfields.com

‘Preservation’ of historic airfields in Britain is virtually non existant apart from a few control towers/watch offices tucked away in the middle of what are now industrial sites

Some of us can only preserve the history and the memory of airfields, not the infrastructure. We have tried by documenting the history and by building memorials on two previously unmarked airfields in Hertfordshire, we can but try in our own ways!

I’d love to see someone move to preserve some of the more intact airfields, Brunton, Scampton, Kenley, Coltishall and Bicester all spring readily to mind.

Here is my own personnel crusade that maybe of interest

www.rafmetheringham.co.uk

If your not familiar with the Lincs aviation centre either then you should take a look at their impressive site too.

I’m glad you posted this as I only looked at your site a couple of weeks ago, after thinking things had gone quiet…. Well done on passing the next hurdle!! I llok forward to further updates 🙂

‘Preservation’ of historic airfields in Britain is virtually non existant apart from a few control towers/watch offices tucked away in the middle of what are now industrial sites
‘Preservation’ of historic sites in the UK usually involves building a slick new visitor center totally out of character with what is supposedly being preserved, and car park ofcoarse. The space age ‘American’ hangar at Duxford springs to mind as a prime example.

There is one fine notable exception; Stow Maries in Essex, being put back to its First World War appearance (almost).

Now that’s airfield preservation!

Stow Maries and Duxford? Imminent announcement of new owner of Bicester?

St Mawgan !!

Not sure why the concern about SM,as it is now Cornwall Airport,and has had zillions of euro funds injected into its infrastructure that has secured its future.
There is still plenty of the original airfield left,and also many remains of its cold war status,including a nice clutch of HAS that have had far more use since they went ‘civvy’.
Down our way we are ‘awash’ with old airfields some of which are still available to use’ with Perranporth virtually unspoilt complete with its original tower and aircraft blast pens.
My main gripe was the destruction of the camp area at Kenley which was a real timewarp of prewar buildings (in good condition)and even managed to hold on to its last remaining Belfast shed until a fire in 1978.
With so much interest still surrounding the BoB; Kenley as a surviving 11 group station in its original condition should have been preserved although the airfield itself remains.

Here is my own personnel crusade that maybe of interest

www.rafmetheringham.co.uk

If your not familiar with the Lincs aviation centre either then you should take a look at their impressive site too.

Have a look here – lots of info ….
http://www.airfieldinformationexchange.org/community/forum.php