RAF Bicester - April 2012

[a_little_feisty]

Explored in the company of Ladyhayles, Priority 7 and Urbanekul. A fun afternoon explore and whilst I doubt the photos will show anything not seen before this is our take on the place.


The history:

The full history can be found here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bicester_Airfield

More recently:

The Ministry of Defence still owns part of the site, that is used for British Army training. In June 2004, the RAF Gliding and Soaring Association moved to RAF Halton. The main use of the site is now civilian gliding, being home to both a newly-reformed (July 2004) Windrushers Gliding Club, who lease the site, and also the Oxford University Gliding Club and Cranfield University Gliding Club, as sub-sections within the Windrushers club.

The airfield is one of the finest examples of an unmodified pre-war RAF station still almost completely in existence, with many listed buildings. The brick-built 1934 "Fort" type 1959/34 control tower survives, as do the two C-type and two A-type aircraft hangars.

In the late 1990s, plans were proposed to develop the airfield for housing and industry, but they were abandoned due to strong local opposition and the historic nature of the site. In 2002, Cherwell District Council listed the area as a Conservation area.

The photos:

Thanks for looking

 

[flyboys90]

Great photos,thanks for sharing.

 

[klempner69]

Very good indeed,well done.

 

[urban phantom]

very nice thanks for sharing

 

[mookster]

Good to see you guys had a good day, P7 phoned me up asking for a map

 

[daimo_45]

Looks like we're both on DP and Instagram! Shame we left just before you arrived here, otherwise you could have come to Water Eaton with us!

 

[a_little_feisty]

Good to see you guys had a good day, P7 phoned me up asking for a map

. . . which he then left in the car . . . definitely want to go back with map in hand, as would like to know what each building was whilst in them and visit the ones we didn't have time to get to.

Thanks for the info as made the start part so much easier!

 

[a_little_feisty]

Looks like we're both on DP and Instagram! Shame we left just before you arrived here, otherwise you could have come to Water Eaton with us!

Indeed we are . . . Water Eaton looks good so may have to add that to the list. We already had some other sites to visit after we left Bicester, otherwise would have been good.