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Bit of a last minute decision to go here. Was passing and saw the sign to Wigsley and knew of the Night Watch Tower so made a diversion to go and see it. Wished I’d planned it and done some research as there are quite a lot of buildings remaining at this former WWII airfield. When I arrived at the tower all the downstairs access points had been bricked up but that didn’t stop me getting in. Afterwards I spied some other buildings across the road in the undergrowth and these were duly explored. Unfortunately I found out about the former decontamination buildings close to the village itself after returning. Anyway, here’s the history.
RAF Wigsley, located 8 miles west of Lincoln, was built in 1942 as a standard bomber airfield. In total there were 17 different sites including sick quarters and a sewage works. The watch tower was of three story design and quite unique design. It opened in the same year under the administration of 5 Group Bomber Command and served as a satellite base for RAF Swinderby. Its brief time as an operational airfield started when the Hampdens of 455 Squadron arrived in February 1942 before being moved to RAF Leuchars in May. Then in June became a major training station for 5 Group which included a mix of Lancasters and Manchesters. By April 1943, Wigsley was an all-Lancaster airfield before re-equipping with Stirlings. Its training role came to an end in September 1945 and was placed on Care and Maintenance in 1946. The airfield was reactivated in the 1950s as a Relief Landing Ground for the Vampires and Meteors of RAF Swinderby until closing permanently in April 1958.
Over the years the site’s most imposing building, the watch tower, has been very badly vandalised and survives along with a few of the Technical Site buildings. The runways were torn up many years ago and are now used as a pig farm.
Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 64, Watch Office from the road:
img8639 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Close up of the watch Office:
img8642 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Adjoining out building:
img8660 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Inside it’s fairly bleak:
img8645 by HughieDW, on Flickr
But there are glorious views over the adjoining pig farm:
img8647 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8648 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Up the stairs to the second floor:
img8659 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…even better views await:
img8653 by HughieDW, on Flickr
..and more crap graffiti:
img8655 by HughieDW, on Flickr
A few more externals for good measure:
img8662 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8665 by HughieDW, on Flickr
And the tower in its full glory:
img8666 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Across the road is Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 90, Sub Station
img8668 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8671 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8673 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Not too sure what this building was:
img8677 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Or this:
img8678 by HughieDW, on Flickr
But this is Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 89
img8681 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8682 by HughieDW, on Flickr
…and finally Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 96, a very tidy and clean Stanton Shelter:
img8684 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8689bw by HughieDW, on Flickr
img8691 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
RAF Wigsley, located 8 miles west of Lincoln, was built in 1942 as a standard bomber airfield. In total there were 17 different sites including sick quarters and a sewage works. The watch tower was of three story design and quite unique design. It opened in the same year under the administration of 5 Group Bomber Command and served as a satellite base for RAF Swinderby. Its brief time as an operational airfield started when the Hampdens of 455 Squadron arrived in February 1942 before being moved to RAF Leuchars in May. Then in June became a major training station for 5 Group which included a mix of Lancasters and Manchesters. By April 1943, Wigsley was an all-Lancaster airfield before re-equipping with Stirlings. Its training role came to an end in September 1945 and was placed on Care and Maintenance in 1946. The airfield was reactivated in the 1950s as a Relief Landing Ground for the Vampires and Meteors of RAF Swinderby until closing permanently in April 1958.
Over the years the site’s most imposing building, the watch tower, has been very badly vandalised and survives along with a few of the Technical Site buildings. The runways were torn up many years ago and are now used as a pig farm.
Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 64, Watch Office from the road:
![16997469577_d3a96fe41e_b.jpg 16997469577_d3a96fe41e_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179443-16997469577-d3a96fe41e-b.jpg)
Close up of the watch Office:
![16582432624_2ba04494c2_b.jpg 16582432624_2ba04494c2_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179444-16582432624-2ba04494c2-b.jpg)
Adjoining out building:
![17016971208_01224f3c85_b.jpg 17016971208_01224f3c85_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179445-17016971208-01224f3c85-b.jpg)
Inside it’s fairly bleak:
![17204863075_61130d5d15_b.jpg 17204863075_61130d5d15_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179446-17204863075-61130d5d15-b.jpg)
But there are glorious views over the adjoining pig farm:
![16584648533_441f99885b_b.jpg 16584648533_441f99885b_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179447-16584648533-441f99885b-b.jpg)
![17018649129_087b73021f_b.jpg 17018649129_087b73021f_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179448-17018649129-087b73021f-b.jpg)
Up the stairs to the second floor:
![17204157541_bdf7912cd1_b.jpg 17204157541_bdf7912cd1_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179449-17204157541-bdf7912cd1-b.jpg)
…even better views await:
![17017048008_983c35cbb9_b.jpg 17017048008_983c35cbb9_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179450-17017048008-983c35cbb9-b.jpg)
..and more crap graffiti:
![16584571593_cd90307ccf_b.jpg 16584571593_cd90307ccf_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179451-16584571593-cd90307ccf-b.jpg)
A few more externals for good measure:
![16582242464_10bec01613_b.jpg 16582242464_10bec01613_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179452-16582242464-10bec01613-b.jpg)
![17018496219_515a61f401_b.jpg 17018496219_515a61f401_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179453-17018496219-515a61f401-b.jpg)
And the tower in its full glory:
![17017091580_43fbf905e1_b.jpg 17017091580_43fbf905e1_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179454-17017091580-43fbf905e1-b.jpg)
Across the road is Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 90, Sub Station
![17204604945_0d39e487f5_b.jpg 17204604945_0d39e487f5_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179455-17204604945-0d39e487f5-b.jpg)
![16584369333_bca2f49a4d_b.jpg 16584369333_bca2f49a4d_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179456-16584369333-bca2f49a4d-b.jpg)
![17018372819_7cf6e1ab69_b.jpg 17018372819_7cf6e1ab69_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179457-17018372819-7cf6e1ab69-b.jpg)
Not too sure what this building was:
![17204497745_a479cb7ebe_b.jpg 17204497745_a479cb7ebe_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179458-17204497745-a479cb7ebe-b.jpg)
Or this:
![17204459185_5b053f16d2_b.jpg 17204459185_5b053f16d2_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179459-17204459185-5b053f16d2-b.jpg)
But this is Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 89
![16584217743_113b6925e6_b.jpg 16584217743_113b6925e6_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179460-16584217743-113b6925e6-b.jpg)
![16584184643_494ba292ae_b.jpg 16584184643_494ba292ae_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179461-16584184643-494ba292ae-b.jpg)
…and finally Airfield & Technical Site: Bdg No. 96, a very tidy and clean Stanton Shelter:
![17016809180_064eeddba8_b.jpg 17016809180_064eeddba8_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179462-17016809180-064eeddba8-b.jpg)
![17016539508_18299a2848_b.jpg 17016539508_18299a2848_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179463-17016539508-18299a2848-b.jpg)
![17016576258_02f303481e_b.jpg 17016576258_02f303481e_b.jpg](https://cdn.imagearchive.com/derelictplaces/data/attach/179/179464-17016576258-02f303481e-b.jpg)
Thanks for looking!
Last edited: