# RAF Babdown farm, Glos



## ricasso (Apr 29, 2009)

Babdown farm is situated just south of Tetbury, Glos, an airfield ive been meaning to visit for some time.
when the opportunity finally came up it was on the perfect kind of day for exploring airfields.

Babdown was built in 1939/ 40 as a RLG for 9 FTS Hullavington and was used for night flying, but by 1942 it was redeveloped into full RLG standard by laying three Sommerfield track runways.

by 1943 beam approach was installed on the main runway,in preperation for a flight of oxfords equipped for BA training.

the wet weather during the winter of 1944/5 lifted the track runway and it remained out of service for three months.

the airfield finally closed in june 1945.

two of the three remaining T1 hangers















small shed with seriously thick doors


















The gun butts, the icing on the cake for me!,its still used by a local gunclub who appeared just as I left (notice the red flag flying as I was walking away)


























ground level water tank,ive been told its quite rare






some other buildings found near the tank






































there was a sloping roof against this wall,you can see the marks if you look carefully


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## jonney (Apr 29, 2009)

nice to see some of the buildings are still in use. Any idea what the other buildings were for?


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## herts digger (Apr 29, 2009)

*A rewarding day off mate.*

Nice one bro,as you said earlier,i wonder what the small building with the iron doors is,strange that it has windows,I really liked the building with the elevator,it looks like a kennel with a guard dog looking out.The rifle butts are pretty impressive,wonder if they were for aircraft target practice,was the water tank up on raised ground,it would need a bit of height for gravity to work,did you find out when the old farmhouse was last occupied,all in all a good find mate,great pics,speak to ya soon.


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## smiffy (Apr 29, 2009)

herts digger said:


> I really liked the building with the elevator,it looks like a kennel with a guard dog looking out.



A kennel with a dog looking out if it ?????????
Say what ????
Just how big are the dog kennels and just what do the dogs look like round your way then mate????
I'll have a bit of whatever it is you're on................heheheheh!

.....................Looks like a right good mooch that Jebidiah !


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## herts digger (Apr 29, 2009)

smiffy said:


> A kennel with a dog looking out if it ?????????
> Say what ????
> Just how big are the dog kennels and just what do the dogs look like round your way then mate????
> I'll have a bit of whatever it is you're on................heheheheh!
> ...



You wouldn't beleive the dogs round here mate! sorry its just my weird imagination,and as for what I'm on,I'm planning a visit to Ricasso at the end of May,I'll bring some down with me,see ya.


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## ricasso (Apr 29, 2009)

smiffy said:


> A kennel with a dog looking out if it ?????????
> Say what ????
> Just how big are the dog kennels and just what do the dogs look like round your way then mate????
> I'll have a bit of whatever it is you're on................heheheheh!
> ...



Smiffy! been a while fella, hey, please excuse me brother,its definitely in the water !!!, it was a cracking morning mate,wall to wall skylarks,wonderful! see you at the Wheatsheaf, if its the same weekend il bring the old bugger,(Herts Digger)


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## ricasso (Apr 29, 2009)

jonney said:


> nice to see some of the buildings are still in use. Any idea what the other buildings were for?



Hi Jonney,I dont know what they where used for,its interesting that the doors were so wide,even the internal ones,I was thinking maybe sick bay?


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## smiffy (Apr 30, 2009)

ricasso said:


> Smiffy! been a while fella, hey, please excuse me brother,its definitely in the water !!!, it was a cracking morning mate,wall to wall skylarks,wonderful! see you at the Wheatsheaf, if its the same weekend il bring the old bugger,(Herts Digger)



I been real busy mate with loads of gigs and then hospital ..........nothing serious though......
.........just been in fer a nose job ! hehheh! ........
....Nah..don't fret.......Ol' Smiffy ain't gone all vain and had a pert little thing modelled.....Hehheh !! (...you'd need to employ McAlpines Construction to remodel my snout into anything remotely 'pert'......)
...Back a few years ago whilst at work my nose and a hefty peice of 1/2" re-bar collided at speed .....
I couldn't stand snuffling fer breath anymore so the Docs have rebored it for me and fittd me out with some new liners ! Good as new mate....... ..I tell ya I could hoover a carpet with it now...........
.. See you soon !......


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## the_historian (Apr 30, 2009)

Nice pics. That tank could be an Emergency Water Supply.
The lumps in the second-last photo look like cellular concrete- a cheap and nasty wartime solution to concrete shortages. I remember exploring the station HQ at Findo Gask airfield years ago; I put my foot on the bottom of a window opening, and tried to pull myself up....and a two foot square section of wall under my foot promptly collapsed!


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## Black Shuck (Apr 30, 2009)

Wicked pics of a very nice Airfield mate. Its quite unusual to see the Hangars up still as they have normally been flattened. Historian I found this at R.A.F Ludham recently on a return visit. Is it a Gunn Butt please.














it was very close to the Airfield so I guess it must be a Gun Butt although I was not sure. It looks very much the same shape as yours, if so Ludham accomodated Spitfires and I can imagine them opening up thier Browning ,303s against that!


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## Foxylady (Apr 30, 2009)

Excellent airfield and pics, Ric. Looked like a great day for it too.
Some nice remains there...love the Butt...well impressive. 
Good stuff!


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## ricasso (May 1, 2009)

hiya Shucky,yeah it certainly looks like it,was there an earth mound on the other side of the wall to the buttresses?


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## Black Shuck (May 4, 2009)

Yeah there was an Earth Mound on the other side Ric although it was pretty well covered with Ground Elder and other shite. You could still tell near enough though.


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## the_historian (May 4, 2009)

I agree Black, it certainly looks like a gun butt.


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