# Ex M.O.D Property Norwich



## Home Guard

Towards the eastern end of Fifers lane at dowding road in norwich, there apears to be a sign that says "MOD Property" I have no idea why this is as it is just a peice of small grass surrounded by your average suburban housing estate. The sign looks old but not old enough to be anything to do with Horsham st. Faith (norwich airport during ww2)

Anyone have any idea of what this place used to be?


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## Mid diesel

aren't the newish houses where the old RAF buildings were?


in the late 90's they were still student accomodation for the UEA


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## Black Shuck

Hello Home Guard. I think that may be the Old Aerodrome?


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## Home Guard

I doubt it is part of the old aerodrome as on norfolk heritage it shows it as outside the perimeter fence.

The sign also looks quite modern (80's or younger, i reckon) and the base closed down from military use in 1963 and was sold to a civvie owner in 1967. so i doubt it was anything to do with the base.

Does anyone know if this could be anything to do with the ROC, radio repeater/radio countermeasures?


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## Mimble

its faz not mimble. its the old raf horsham st faiths officers married quarters, which laterly when used as the quarters for the officers from raf neatishead, if you head down the road towards the cromer road there is an odd building on the right thats is the old barrack stores building. and on the left of that is the old married quarters for the junior ranks.. which is now all been sold... up until about 10 years ago there was old H blocks there..


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## Home Guard

thanks mimble

I have wondered what that sign was for for a while now


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## sheridan

*The Answer*

Hi All,

I can easily answer the question.

Dowding Road was part of the originally part of RAF Horsham St Faith, after the war the MOD retained Dowding Road.

Once you pass the MOD sign you proceed down a long drive after about quarter of a mile it opens up into a large open green open space, in the spring it is lined with beautiful blossom trees and houses about 20 officers houses.

A few years ago the houses where privately let. (I know live on Dowding Road)

Sheridan


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## stevejd

I may be wrong but don't the other aircraft named roads suggest an old RAF base and if I googled it correctly it's near Norwich airport thus Sheridan is correct.
nicked this off wikipedia

History

The first Norwich airport was set up on a former First World War aerodrome on Mousehold Heath under what is now the Heartsease housing estate. This fell into disuse in the early part of the Second World War.
[edit] RAF Horsham St Faith
Main article: RAF Horsham St Faith

The current site, formerly known as Royal Air Force Station Horsham St Faith, or more commonly RAF Horsham St Faith, was first developed in 1939 and officially opened on 1 June 1940 as a bomber station.

In September 1942 Horsham St. Faith was made available to the United States Army Air Forces for use by the Eighth Air Force. The USAAF designated the airfield as Station 123 (HF).

The airfield was transferred to RAF Fighter Command on 10 July 1945 when it was occupied by four Gloster Meteor Squadrons. RAF Horsham St. Faith was a front-line RAF station for many years, and its squadrons participated in many post-war exercises. The station was deactivated on 1 August 1963.
[edit] Civil airport

The Royal Air Force left Horsham on 24 March 1967. Over the following two years the major part of the airfield and buildings were sold to Norwich City and Norfolk County Council, a small part being retained by the Ministry of Defence (MoD). Norwich Airport Ltd under ownership of the County and City Councils developed the modern day Norwich International Airport.

Most of the World War II buildings used by the United States Army Air Force remain, although converted for a variety of purposes. Three of the five large pre-war hangars are still being used for aircraft maintenance. Two have been converted for commercial use. The control tower still exists although the top has been restored and a new tower has been built adjacent to the present main runway. Other wartime buildings now form part of the airport industrial estate (owned by the County and City Councils) and are intermingled with many newer structures.

The former RAF accommodation blocks situated towards Old Catton were until 1993 used by the University of East Anglia as accommodation for students, known to students as "Fifers Lane" halls these have since been demolished and the site redeveloped as housing. The remaining MoD property, formerly enlisted men's quarters, has become married quarters for nearby RAF stations.

Whilst most runways and taxi-tracks from the military airfield remain, only one runway is primarily used, east-west runway 09/27, which was extended eastwards by the RAF in 1956, to avoid takeoffs and landings over built-up areas. A section of the old main runway is currently used for light aircraft.

Adjacent to the airport terminal building opened in 1988 there is a memorial display relating to the USAAF, consisting of photographs, paintings, and a plaque commemorating the American use of the airfield.

In March 2004, the City and County Councils sold 80.1% of Norwich Airport Ltd to Omniport[8] whilst retaining the further 19.9%. Omniport has also acquired 100% of Norwich Airport Travel Ltd. Since the sale to Omniport the airport has become one of the UK hubs for budget carrier Flybe and the number of flights and destinations served have rapidly increased. In 2005 a £3.5M terminal expansion programme began.

It was announced in April 2008 that Flybe was to reduce routes and frequencies from Norwich Airport. Glasgow was axed by May and Paris-Charles de Gaulle was being merged into a Norwich-Jersey-Charles de Gaulle service, making it an indirect service. Guernsey is having its frequency dropped to one Saturday flight.

On 5 July 2008, LTE International Airways started scheduled flights to Alicante, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca for the summer 2008 season and in addition to these routes from winter 2008/2009 they had announced new routes to Malaga, Tenerife and Gran Canaria, however due to financial difficulties with the airline, LTE services (including all from Norwich) are suspended until further notice.

During filming of the BBC show Top Gear, operations from the airport appeared disrupted when a caravan, adapted into an airship and flown by James May, drifted overhead the airport, infringing its controlled airspace. In reality, the event occurred after much pre-planning with the airport authorities and the BBC, and scenes showing the airship in the airfield boundary were actually filmed after the blimp had lifted from the airfield to satisfy the requirements of the film crew

So take it with the usual pinch of wiki salt


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## Home Guard

Thanks again,


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## Curtaintwitcher

Just to add something, I have heard anecdotes of underground tunnels and "bunkers" on this site, whether these were simply cellars or part of military history or just local legend I don't know.


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## Ross Patzelt

I doubt there are bunkers there. There is an underground bunker near the chartwell road roundabout


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## chris

Ross Patzelt said:


> I doubt there are bunkers there. There is an underground bunker near the chartwell road roundabout



Not this one? http://www.subbrit.org.uk/rsg/sites/n/norwich2/index.html Sadly now gone


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## Seahorse

Speculation isn't reason enough to resurrect a thread of this vintage, IMVHO. So I'll just close it. Please feel free to PM me if it needs resuscitating with a definitive answer.


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