Best Preserved Airfield?

BazV – Hullavington ???

Lovely Bicester shots L&S, love the old watch office, can’t be many left like that now.

One at Cosford……..

http://aviationpages.fotopic.net/p30371341.html

As several have already said, Davidstow Moor is largely untouched. It’s too far away from everywhere for it to be worth collecting hardcore and the ground is so poor it’s only marginally better than the runways anyway.

Strangely, three Formula 1 (-ish) races were run there around 1950. Bernie reckons Silverstone is bad to get to…

I’d be very sorry to se it covered by a wind farm.

BTW, is it me or is the forum running in geological time these days? Slow is a major understatement.

RAF Gatow’s in good condition……

To complement Bicester and Wallop … How about South Cerney ?? always used to look in good condition but I have not been over there for many years now.

Middle Wallop consists of a large number of buildings dating from pre World War 2 and many of them are still painted in two tone camoflage, construction of the control tower commenced in 1938 and you can also see comoflage painted on this as well.

I’m not sure how old/original the five hangers are but after being inside them I would say very!

Some might say this isn’t a private airfield but judging by how many civvies work there I would say it is.

Best preserved airfield?

I agree with Pagen01. Davidstow Moor has not been interferred with yet but is in imminent danger of windfarm development. All the features, buildings and runways that stood and those that are still standing are described in detail on www.rafdavidstowmoor.org and the windfarm info is on www.stinc.co.uk

I believe I have some pictures of this place when I visited in about 1994,
well I think it was and it looks pretty well the same from memory except one thing……………there were zillions of blooming sheep everywhere.

Bomberboy

Duxford maybe?

Not exactly preserved, I consider Davidstow Moor to be the best, it’s never been developed or ripped apart. It’s high on Bodmin moors in a desolate location and you really get a feel of what the airfield must have been like. the runways, taxiways, dispersals, tower and various other buildings are left exactly as when they were finished with. If your prepared for a hike you will find other buildings such as accommodation and the firing range.

Its a difficult question because where do you draw the line, here at St Athan it still retains it’s expansion period red brick buildings, hangers and airfield, but it is MoD and still used.

Here is a pic of Davidstow’s control tower, I have been researching this Airfield for ages now and have hundres of pictures documenting everything!!

As you can see in one picture you can make out the runway’s in the distance

😀

Lovely Bicester shots L&S, love the old watch office, can’t be many left like that now.

Bicester is one of the last all-grass “expansion era” airfields to survive fairly intact.

Feltwell is possible even more intact – including, as it does, some WW1 buildings too.

Moggy

I know I’m biased being based there, but Bicester is one of the last all-grass “expansion era” airfields to survive fairly intact. It has a unique timewarp quality – and the Windrushers Gliding Club are working very hard indeed to keep it that way.

Newton!

92fis is right – better than Swinderby is Newton. No runways to pull up there, ‘cos it never had any! Just out of MOD hands, tucked away, good nick.

Tim.

Swinderby

Until the domestic site was reduced to rubble, 😡 (making way for the new village “Witham St Hughes”) Swinderby had to be the best preserved airfield I knew.

Having been the recruit training station since the 60s it was in fabulous condition. A few changes had occurred whilst still in RAF hands – Swinderby strangely had two bomb dumps, they went, and half of main workshops became the cinema. However the tech site is still very well preserved.

The flying site is still in exceptionally good nick, but not for long. There’s gravel under them runways, dispersals and peri track!

Another strange Swinderby anomally is the battle HQ. It still exists, literally high and dry. Drainage was such a problem when they built this station (the very last expansion one I believe) that the battle HQ had to be built over ten feet above ground!

Tim W.

A topic close to my heart,but one that see’s the remaining remnants slowly being nibbled away by time.
It was a joy to walk the Essex airfields of the Ninth USAAF back in the early 1970’s. so many of the airfields runways and hardstands had been donors even by then for the Hardcore and crushed concrete market. but many of the buildings had survived.

I think two of the most outstanding sites were Boreham and Rivenhall, both with spectacle hardstands and runways intact up until fairly recently. Rivenhall was used from the late 1950’s by Marconi, who preserved most of the airfield right up untill the late 1980’s. Boreham was maintained to some degree, by the Ford motor company. Both sadly are now being quarried for aggregates.

At least Earles Colne, Stansted, Andrewsfield, still have links to flying, with Matching and Willingale following with Microlite clubs attached.

As a little taster, anyone local should get to see the collection of 9th USAAF and other WW2 artifacts held in the De-Coverley collection at Kelvedon. The owner was a young lad when the USAAF were at Rivenhall, and has amassed a large collection of material from the airfield after it was relinquished, along with thousands of photographs. He is open for viewing on Saturdays and Sundays but you must phone him first on 01376 571040. He welcomes any visit from clubs or individuals.

RAF Trevallas – now Perranporth Airfield

Yes its one of the UK’s newest airports, its got a daft name & the accomodation blocks have gone, but Robin Hood, Doncaster-Sheffield( I still prefer Finningley) is very much intact on the airfield site (unfortunately someone spoilt it a bit by putting a big new terminal there).

Maybe beggers can’t be choosers(name-wise that is),but at least it did not become a Prison & it is used for flying, the porpose it was built for 60 odd years ago.(big + its only 20 mins from my home:D )

That said Gamston isn’t too bad preservation wise-it still has 2 original hangars-albeit re-sheeted, much of the technical site survives, a few buildings remain across the A1 trunk road, the tower is a private house and the range still clings on to its mortal coil.On top of this it is a pretty active business airport & has a VOR/DME which brings plenty of traffic across my house-the occasional warbird included.

I would have thought that Cranfield was a pretty good candidate – most of the expansion period and wartime buildings remain and are mainly in good order.

I would have suggested Bicester, but I havent been there for years!

TT

Duxford maybe?

Not exactly preserved, I consider Davidstow Moor to be the best, it’s never been developed or ripped apart. It’s high on Bodmin moors in a desolate location and you really get a feel of what the airfield must have been like. the runways, taxiways, dispersals, tower and various other buildings are left exactly as when they were finished with. If your prepared for a hike you will find other buildings such as accommodation and the firing range.

Its a difficult question because where do you draw the line, here at St Athan it still retains it’s expansion period red brick buildings, hangers and airfield, but it is MoD and still used.

Newton should still be in good condition.