RAF Bicester & Finmere

You’re probably right. What goes on, on the other side of the Finmere Road is a mystery to me! See you at Bicester for the VAC members event this Saturday?

Sadly I’ll not be at this one due to one reason and another but I hope it is good weather for you all. The rest of the team will be there though.

With RAF Bicester the scrub land on the town side of the bipass road was also part of the site – IIRC the gymnasium was there.

I hope to be there (corgi models) wx permitting

I thought the immigrant place was supposed on the former “B Site” of the Army depot and not part of the RAF site at all. I thought the Officers Mess was a care home.
Gary

You’re probably right. What goes on, on the other side of the Finmere Road is a mystery to me! See you at Bicester for the VAC members event this Saturday?

I used to work at Caversfield and yes all refurbishment was done to preserve the outlines of the buildings. All the trees were logged as well and are subject to “preservation” i.e. no chopping down unless damn goo d case can be made.

Bicester has had as far as I know one jet land there – a Jet Provost when 71MU were there. It is a facinating airfield. The Halifax prototype first flew there. An AW Ensign made a deadstick landing there whilst undergoing development flying. 8 Beverley’s were scrapped there as was a Hastings. The Hendon LAnc was restored there initially and a large number of historic aircraft passed through the gates thanks to 71MU and the exhibition flight.

Bicester’s tower is quite good inside but the second floor is so low it’d onkly be good for midgets to stand up in. No good if you are in the region of 6ft plus.

Finmere, former home of the VAC events, is indeed now privately owned with one runway in this part and the market utilises another one of the runways (Of which the tower is adjacent to.) The third runway has mostly been dug up. The tower at Finmere is quite intact downstairs with tiles etc oin the floors and walls but upstairs has had all the internal walls removed and is just a large open space with puddles where the roof leaks. The balcony and upper extension were removed long ago.

G-ASML.
I thought the immigrant place was supposed on the former “B Site” of the Army depot and not part of the RAF site at all. I thought the Officers Mess was a care home.
Gary

Imagine if you could bring that base back to its former glory, a complete stock restoration…… 😀 ……

…….and fill the hangers with some fine examples of “classic” period aircraft – and flyers amongst them of course. And ‘staff’ it with a mix of volunteers and resident tradespeople to re-enact all the scenes rememebred by an ex-RAF folk…

Well I can dream can’t I? And yes I know it sounds a bit ‘Duxford’ ish….lol 😀

WOW! thanks for the pics JDK!

Imagine if you could bring that base back to its former glory, a complete stock restoration…… 😀 ……

Lovely pics JDK, nice to see some “in base” shots of a place I’ve been past many times, and remember well from my service days!! Never went in there, but the look of the base is reminiscent of many others I have been in of course. I love the historical aspect of old bases, as well as my passion for military aviation.

OK James – thanks. I’ll try and find the sources you mention and learn more about Bicester soon. Time I visited it again soon myself.

Hi Charlie,
You may be right – the pics were a while ago, and I don’t have my notes. The chap who’d organised the day had put together a history, and I have a copy. Where it is, after a 12,000mike move I have no idea.

Action stations does cover it reasonably well, and there was a GMS booklet on Bicester as well.

Cheers

Nice pics JDK – good to see these buildings have not had their original wooden windows replaced with modern PVC units!

Note sure that the building you call the gas decontamination block isn’t the Ops Block, but I’m not too familiar with Bicester’s history. Has anyone ever written a detailed history of the airfield?

Crossing the road and shoving my camera up to the fence got a shot of the road into the admin area, and the guardhouse. Along a bit is the water tank, and there are pillboxes if you know where to look as well.

Finally I include a couple of shots of the airfield proper.

Hope that’s of interest!

Cheers

The old RAF Bicester is divided (like Gaul) into three parts. There is the airfield, with the hangars and field, then fenced of from that, mostly derelict is the administration quarters, not accessible to the public, and finally, on the other side of the N-S road is the old domestic quarters, now the home of DLO Caversfield.

As part of the Heritage Open Days in 2003, DLO Caversfield was opened to the public, and, living locally, intrigued by what went on behind those locked gates, I trundled along for a look around.

The team there had done a great job preparing for us, and although we weren’t allowed to take photos inside the buildings, we got an excellent tour of most of the base.

DLO Caversfield is responsible for the clothing of the British armed forces; this includes shooting at armoured jackets, testing tents and destruct testing socks and gloves with artificial sweating hands and feet. Bizarre and fascinating. (Public domain info – BTW, don’t get in a tiz about this being ‘secret’.)

I attach a few photos of the three areas; further comment and questions welcome!

First up is the gatehouse to the domestic area (the road separated the two halves even then, and there were a number of accidents with airmen crossing at night…)

One of the barrack blocks, now offices, alongside the old parade ground.

The Sergeants’ Mess. This is probably the most historic and unique building on the base, and has many 1930s period details retained inside (sadly unphotographed).

The station heating building

Entry to one of the later (1930s) living quarters

Another 1920s barracks block

And the last two show the gas decontamination building – the threat being taken very seriously. The last shot shows the chutes contaminated clothing would have been shoved out of.

Yes, that was planned for the former mess buildings on the opposite side of the Finmere road to the airfield. I understand it was both a mixture of local public opinion and cost issues which stymied it.

There were also attempts by the MoD to get the airfield land reclassified for housing, but they failed to meet the requirements of the N Oxfordshire planning authorities and it got thrown out for a five year minimum period. At the moment Windrushers are working hard behind the scenes with the local authorities to maintain Bicester leisure status as a gliding and light aircraft centre, combined with other leisure activities. Hopefully Bicester will continue as one of Britain’s last ‘into wind’ airfields for some time to come.

Wan’t Bicester proposed as a reception centre for asylum seekers but the plan ran into a lot of opposition?

Thanks for these details G-ASML – nice to see the website too. I managed not to comment on the VC10 in my earlier reply!

Are any other buildings still being used besides the Watch Office and hangars?

Bicester is been used i think as part of a glider club, but sometimes you get a C130 or VC10 there….
curlyboy

Woo Hoo, I’d love to see a VC-10 land at Bicester. As it’s all grass and the longest run is about 1100 yards, I guess we’d get to keep it!

Seriously though, Bicester is thriving in the custodianship of the Windrushers Gliding Club who have a multi-year lease from the MoD, and in addition to the gliders, about 14 powered aircraft are based there including a Zlin Trener, a pair of Pietenpols, Miles Gemini, Bucker Jungmann and my Luton Minor.

The pre-war ‘Watch Tower’ at Bicester is listed, as indeed are some other buildings. The tower is currently being renovated as the offices of the Foukes Flying Association, which gives air experience flights to young poeple.

If you’re interested in dropping by, everybody’s welcome although prior permission is required. Check the website http://www.windrushers.org.uk for more information.

Finmere airfield changed hands last year and is privately owned although a microlight school operates on site. I don’t know whether there are any plans, or interest in developing any of its heritage.

Cheers Guys,

Bicester looks remarkably ‘preserved’ and authentic…great news its been listed

Bicester is one of those MoD-owned airfields to have had quite a number of its historic buildings Listed by the government just a few weeks ago, but I believe its future use is still to be decided – I guess it is up for sale but gliding continues for the time being.

Bicester is been used i think as part of a glider club, but sometimes you get a C130 or VC10 there, as for finmere it is used for a car boot sale site and for paint balling/ airsofting and go karts, but there are bunkers and such like there.

curlyboy