Visit to martlesham heath's remaining piece of runway

… slightly off topic :rolleyes:

Martin Baker M.B.2 first flown
at Martlesham Heath,
http://www.schofields-flying-club.com.au/newsletter/nov05.htm

or Denham,
http://www.jaapteeuwen.com/ww2aircraft/html%20pages/MARTIN-BAKER%20MB2.htm

or Harwell?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin-Baker_MB_2

Wasn’t the Spitfire prototype tested here?

Spitfire prototype K5054 at Martlesham Heath
http://www.vicflintham.co.uk/post-war-military-aircraft/spit/spitfire.html#

I recall when I first moved down to this part of the world in the mid 70’s, we used to go on our little trips to the Suffolk Coast ( ANG Delta Daggers flying out of Bentwaters if you were lucky).
In those days, you had to put up with the Ipswich ring road, a real pain to negotiate, though the TA depot on the left hand side would regularly have it’s WW2 vintage 5.5 medium guns out in the parade ground, you had time to have a good look at them when you were stuck in the inevitable traffic jam.
Martlesham Heath was fairly intact then, though I recall that redevelopment had begun, starting with the BT tower that looked pretty surreal, we wondered at the time whether bits of it actually revolved. I think that the Douglas Bader Pub was a 70’s bit of unflattering design, there used to be an advert for it at the side of the old by-pass.
The A12 ring road, starting with the Orwell Bridge saw the demise of the place, I’ve tried to wander around the estate roads and find the odd bit of heritage, but it’s not a very loveable, sympathetic development of the old airfield, but it was avaliable to developers, so who cares, the Local Authorities attitude towards the Ipswich Airfield and it’s destruction for an industrial site sums up their consideration to aviation in the area.
I’ve Googled, but not been able to find the last flight out of Martlesham, I presume it must have been in 1963, anyone know what it was.
Wasn’t the Spitfire prototype tested here.

Remaining sections of the NW-SE runway

Martlesham Heath runways

When I was at the BT Centre in the 70’s and early 80’s there was a section about 100 yards long, complete with markings and wheel marks used as a car park.

The Heath had long sections too, still long enough to land a small plane.

All gone now though.

The 1920’s hangar and maintenance building are still there, as are the red-brick barracks.

Steven

53 03’13.40N x 1 15’39.00E on Google Earth (roughly)

really not much left if only that remaining section could be saved and a memorial recrected

When I flew over Martlesham a couple of weeks ago my victim…. sorry passenger and I were chatting about th old airfield, it looked to us (from 1000 – 1500 feet or so) as though there are 2 chuncks of surviving runway, 1 near BT and one on the edge of the housing estate, is this the case or was all that fresh air playing with our minds?

I’m sure there is a section left in the BT complex, used as a car park I think.

There appears to be a grass strip running from BT Research Centre to a hut which coincidentally lines up nicely with some of the Satellite Dishes, this looks like an airstrip [I have never heard of anything landing here though] from Google Earth and at eye level.

I walk this area frequently there is another chunk of runway, the Douglas Bader Public House sits right in the middle of it but ceases at the Playing Field, there are several sections of peri-track still around as well as a few buildings.

When I flew over Martlesham a couple of weeks ago my victim…. sorry passenger and I were chatting about th old airfield, it looked to us (from 1000 – 1500 feet or so) as though there are 2 chuncks of surviving runway, 1 near BT and one on the edge of the housing estate, is this the case or was all that fresh air playing with our minds?

This pic of the runway was taken in December ’04

I live but a mile from this very famous station, there is planning permission in for more houses along the A12 corridor, opposite BT Tower. The Barrack Blocks were once to be removed but were thankfully saved, one of these was my temporary residence in 1960. The CT Museum is a must visit you will not be disappointed………….

Is that bit of the runway down the SW end, somehow surviving at the end of a housing estate.
It’s very sad to regularly pass through that area over the years and see how such a famous airfield has been systematically destroyed by redevelopment.
Why the A12 duel carriageway was built so low in the ground is beyond me, it’s very strange to have to look up at historic buildings. It’s a pity that Tescos haven’t taken advantage of it’s position and posted up a few pictures of past events in their cafe, I would love to see that sort of thing, but the men in suits don’t know of such things, sad isn’t it. I suppose it means nothing to them that the people who created this Tesco empire were saved from annhilation by developments at this famous airfield, they’ve obviously not thought about it, give it a go pals.

Nice shot TT! Did you visit the old control tower, now a museum I believe?