RAF Harlaxton, Lincs, April 2012/January 2013

HughieD · Feb 1, 2013

OK, here's a bit of history:

RAF Harlaxton opened in 1916 as a Royal Flying Corps training aerodrome. It had three grassed runways laid out in a triangle shape and provided a home for an array of planes, including de Havilland DH Marques and Sopwith Camels.

The aerodrome was moth-balled between the wars and then re-opened in 1942 as a 'satellite field' and relief landing ground for a flying training squadron that was based the other side of Grantham at RAF Spitalgate. The grass runways were retained as the terrain was deemed unsuitable for tarmac and a number of brick and concrete buildings were added, including a decontamination hospital. The nearby Harlaxton Manor was commandeered by the War Department and used as planning centre for the Army's 1st Airborne Division during their detailed pre-D-Day preparations.
After the war, flying training at nearby RAF Cranwell switched to jet aircraft and Harlaxton's grass runways which had been providing a relief landing ground were no longer suitable and the site closed 41 year's later in 1957.

Here's what the airfield looked like circa World War One:

T608051-057 by Royal Air Force Museum Collection, on Flickr

This one's a great little explore as there's a lot of things to see, all within an easy walk of each other. I have fond memories of cycling round this area as a child and am pleased to report that there hasn't been any site clearing or major deterioration of the site over the last couple of decades. Heading away from Grantham, just off the West side of the A1, along Gorse Lane on the left hand side, there's an ROC underground nuclear bunker that was built on the same site as a former war-time spotting post. Built in the 1960s, it's on the north-east perimeter of the former WWI/WWII airfield. It was used during the Cold War and finally abandoned in 1991 when the ROC were wound down. Initially locked up and then accessible in but in good condition, it now is pretty derelict after a fire was started by chav types, sometime in late 2007/early 2008. Still definitely worth a mooch though.

Across in the field opposite is a real little gem: an Allan-Williams turret that would have been used for mounting a machine gun for anti-aircraft purposes during WWII. There's apparently only 33 left in the whole of the UK.

Further along the road, away from Grantham, on the left hand side there's a number of old aerodrome buildings, some from the Second World War. These have been adapted to farm use while others stand abandoned. There's not a lot inside but they make for an interesting shuffty.

If you then continue along the same road on the right there are the extensive remains of a WWII decontamination hospital including a stand-by set house, main building and defensive trenches. Worth the visit to the site alone you can while away a good 30 minutes in this atmospheric place.

This probably said "MOD property keep out" back in the day...

img7033_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

OK, here's the entrance to the ROC Post...

img7151_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Down...down...down I go...

img7159_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Shame someone decided to set fire to it...

img7153_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

At least the drawers survived...

img7039_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

...and the pump which looks in good nick:

img7164_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

...and back out to daylight.

img7036_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Over the road to the delightful Allan-William's turret.

img7166_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

You can still see it's rollers that allowed it to rotate:

img7172_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Onward to some of the remaining WWII aerodrome buildings:

img7059_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

Not too much left inside...

img7051_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

But worth a mouch anyhow...

img7060_1 by HughieDW, on Flickr

New usage for these two old WWII buildings...