# RAF Norton Disney



## Neosea (Feb 23, 2008)

RAF Norton Disney opened as RAF Swinderby in August 1939 due to its proximity to Swinderby rail station, it was renamed in 1940 once the airfield was established. Located close to the main railway lines with its own sidings, the site had one fully-enclosed component store, four enclosed stores for incendiaries and three groups of paired open-topped concrete storage magazines, each seventy-two feet square. All the storage buildings were widely dispersed and had additional shielding with earthworks, termed blast barriers or traverses. Each open magazine was designed to hold 56 tons of bombs. There were additional buildings for the site staff and their needs.

RAF Norton Disney's heavily camouflaged 93 Maintenance Unit was responsible for supplying bombs, ammunition and oxygen to the flying stations, in this case primarily RAF Hemswell, RAF Waddington and RAF Scampton. Norton Disney also had a small satellite site nearby.

A recent television programme found evidence for the existence of buried dumps of mustard gas at the former RAF Norton Disney, requiring disposal by the RAF (Home Ground, BBC North, 4th June 1998). It is thought that the site closed in 1958. However, it is known that stocks of mustard gas were moved here from the Sutton Bridge FFD during 1955 and were not removed until the 1980s. The site was briefly mentioned in the Parliamentary Papers (Hansard), as it had been the subject of Landscape Quality Assessments prior to the site's sale in 1997. RAF Norton Disney was the subject of five contamination (radiological and chemical) surveys from 1980 onwards, plus the costings, reviews of previous surveys and evaluations with regards the decontamination of the site.

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Blast walls and Pill Boxes are about all that remain.


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## Foxylady (Feb 23, 2008)

Excellent report and pics, Neosea. 
I found that really interesting. I like those pillboxes...not seen any like that before. Do you know what type they are?


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## smileysal (Feb 23, 2008)

No, I've not seen those types of pill boxes before either. Never thought to have a look around Norton Disney, I always keep saying I'm going to have a look at Swinderby instead. Will have to get over that way at some point when its a little warmer.

Cheers,

 Sal


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## Neosea (Feb 24, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Excellent report and pics, Neosea.
> I found that really interesting. I like those pillboxes...not seen any like that before. Do you know what type they are?



Thanks



smileysal said:


> No, I've not seen those types of pill boxes before either. Never thought to have a look around Norton Disney, I always keep saying I'm going to have a look at Swinderby instead. Will have to get over that way at some point when its a little warmer.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Sal



Yes its worth a visit. 

I assume they are pill boxes from the shape and the pitch of the roof (to deflect bullets or even a blast). I may be wrong, but can't think of another use of a small building as these.

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## Richard Davies (Feb 24, 2008)

I think I remember that documentry about ex-chemical weapons sites being hazardous, showing patched of soil where nothing would grown because of the amount of toxic waste in the ground.


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## Neosea (Feb 24, 2008)

The amount of growth at this place, and the new use of keeping game birds I would say this place is clean. No patches of soil and plenty of Grouse. Besides, it was an ammo dump, toxic materials are kept at these places, the word dump does not mean it was just spread around and "dumped" on/ in the ground.


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## King Al (Feb 25, 2008)

Looks pritty cool, bird sanctuary- thats a novel use


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## Neosea (Feb 25, 2008)

King Al said:


> Looks pritty cool, bird sanctuary- thats a novel use



I would imagine they are breeding the birds to be shot at rather than a sanctuary.


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## King Al (Feb 26, 2008)

Well it still sounds more peaceful than any thing containing the word: Toxic, ammo, dump, chemical weapons...


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## havoc (Feb 27, 2008)

Some interesting history there, was looking at this place a while back, actually thought there was more there though, shame really. Nice work though.


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## Neosea (Feb 27, 2008)

Most of the buildings look like this
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Although these remain
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## Foxylady (Feb 27, 2008)

Shame to see the shelter all to pieces like that.
Thanks for showing those, Neosea.


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## Neosea (Feb 27, 2008)

Foxylady said:


> Shame to see the shelter all to pieces like that.
> Thanks for showing those, Neosea.



You're welcome. It's a shame it's all ruined. This hut/shelter was put together in a hurry so it's surprising it has lasted so long, assuming it was built in the late '30s


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