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Wasn’t going to include this as a full report as it was only a mini-mooch. But in the end I got a decent set of pictures and there is quite a bit of history on this rather iconic control tower place so decide I would give it the full report treatment.
RAF Coleby Grange was a World War 2 Royal Air Force station situated alongside the western edge of the A15 between the village of Coleby and Nocton Heath, some 12 km south of Lincoln. It first opened in 1939 as a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell before being transferred to RAF Digby. It then operated as a fighter and night fighter airfield. Despite this it never had the feel of permanence of its parent station with its three grass runways, temporary Nissen and Quonset huts and solitary Type T1 hanger. The nearby Coleby Hall was commandeered Officers' Mess during the war.
Encircled by concrete perimeter track, by 1944 it boasted 9 hangars and accommodation for around 1800 personal. In August 1944 RAF Digby took on a non-operational role leaving Coleby Grange to combat the threat of night raids in Lincolnshire on its own.
It closed after the war but then re-opened between 1959 and 1963 when it housed a Thor missile unit and three launchers before closing again and the land auctioned off. Most of the buildings have now been demolished and only a small number have been adapted to alternate uses by local farmers. The original air operations control tower and part of a Thor blast wall still stand. Apparently the control tower is reputed to be haunted!
External shot from the front:
img6007 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Front view close up:
img6008 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Downstairs interior, looking out:
img6010 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Downstairs…good nick but pretty sparse bar an old tractor tyre:
img6009 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Looking out of the former grass runway now returned to agricultural usage:
img6011 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Original iron steps up to the second floor still intact:
img6012 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Side external view:
img6017 by HughieDW, on Flickr
All a bit sparse on the second floor too:
img6016 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Two shots of the second and top floor of the control tower:
img6013 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6015 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
RAF Coleby Grange was a World War 2 Royal Air Force station situated alongside the western edge of the A15 between the village of Coleby and Nocton Heath, some 12 km south of Lincoln. It first opened in 1939 as a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell before being transferred to RAF Digby. It then operated as a fighter and night fighter airfield. Despite this it never had the feel of permanence of its parent station with its three grass runways, temporary Nissen and Quonset huts and solitary Type T1 hanger. The nearby Coleby Hall was commandeered Officers' Mess during the war.
Encircled by concrete perimeter track, by 1944 it boasted 9 hangars and accommodation for around 1800 personal. In August 1944 RAF Digby took on a non-operational role leaving Coleby Grange to combat the threat of night raids in Lincolnshire on its own.
It closed after the war but then re-opened between 1959 and 1963 when it housed a Thor missile unit and three launchers before closing again and the land auctioned off. Most of the buildings have now been demolished and only a small number have been adapted to alternate uses by local farmers. The original air operations control tower and part of a Thor blast wall still stand. Apparently the control tower is reputed to be haunted!
External shot from the front:
img6007 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Front view close up:
img6008 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Downstairs interior, looking out:
img6010 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Downstairs…good nick but pretty sparse bar an old tractor tyre:
img6009 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Looking out of the former grass runway now returned to agricultural usage:
img6011 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Original iron steps up to the second floor still intact:
img6012 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Side external view:
img6017 by HughieDW, on Flickr
All a bit sparse on the second floor too:
img6016 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Two shots of the second and top floor of the control tower:
img6013 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img6015 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
