History of RAF West Raynham
Opening in May 1939, Royal Air Force West Raynham was used by RAF Bomber Command during the Second World War.
RAF West Raynham was an expansion scheme airfield with a grass landing strip and a Fort-type lookout tower. The lookout tower was replaced with a “Control Tower for Very Heavy Bomber Stations” later in the war. The headquarters and accommodation blocks were built to the west of the landing area and bomb stores to the south-east.
In 1943 two concrete runways were built to replace the grass landing strip. One runway was 1.8km and the other 1.3km in length. The housing on the base was also expanded at the same time, providing accommodation for 2,456 men and 658 women.
The station had a Rapier missile training dome, in which a 180 degree simulation could be projected onto the inside of the dome to simulate flight in a fighter jet.
Many of the facilities were similar to those provided by the stations sister base RAF Kirton in Lindsey in Lincolnshire, including the training dome.
The station closed in 1994 but was retained as a strategic resrve. The site laid derelict until the RAF decided it was surplus to requirements in 2006 and was sold to developers in 2007. Part of the site has been used as a new housing estate, and the land around the main runway is now a solar farm.
My Visits
I have visited RAF West Raynham on a couple of occasions – the first was a few years ago with
Mr T and we got round some of the site. Much more recently I visited with
Spider Monkey and checked out a lot more of the place. I was pleasantly surprised with the sports hall and gym, and there was plenty left to see all over the site. The big dome was accessible on our first visit but had been completely filled with timber and boarded, so was therefore pitch black inside by the second visit.
Airman’s Restaurant
RAF West Raynham – Twin staircases in the Airman’s Restaurant
RAF West Raynham – Top of the twin staircases
RAF West Raynham – Peeling paint
RAF West Raynham – Decaying room
RAF West Raynham – Airman’s Restaurant
RAF West Raynham – Servery area
RAF West Raynham – Kitchen
Officer’s Mess
RAF West Raynham – Officer’s Mess External
RAF West Raynham – Officer’s Mess main entrance
RAF West Raynham – Dining hall
RAF West Raynham – Dining hall
RAF West Raynham – Top officers dining room
Station HQ
RAF West Raynham – Station HQ
RAF West Raynham – Bars on windows
RAF West Raynham – Telephone Equipment
RAF West Raynham – Doorway with serving shelf
Accommodation Blocks
RAF West Raynham – Accommodation Block External
RAF West Raynham – Staircase
RAF West Raynham – Chair in a room
RAF West Raynham – Ivy growing inside a dorm room
RAF West Raynham – Sinks in shared bathroom
Medical Block
RAF West Raynham – Medical block entrance
RAF West Raynham – Medical block entrance lobby
RAF West Raynham – Treatment room
RAF West Raynham – X-Ray room
RAF West Raynham – Cabinets in treatment room
Sports Hall
RAF West Raynham – The sports hall is well preserved
RAF West Raynham – Climbing ropes
RAF West Raynham – Weight training bay
RAF West Raynham – Plant room
RAF West Raynham – Changing room
Control Tower
RAF West Raynham – Control Tower
RAF West Raynham – Control Tower
RAF West Raynham – Control desks
RAF West Raynham – On top of the tower
Hangers and Training Dome
RAF West Raynham – One of the hangers and the dome
RAF West Raynham – Inside the training dome
RAF West Raynham – Dome external
RAF West Raynham – Hangers
Water Tower and Externals
RAF West Raynham – View down a tree lined avenue
RAF West Raynham – Building and courtyard
RAF West Raynham – View from water tower
RAF West Raynham – The water tower
RAF West Raynham – Admin building
RAF West Raynham – Squadron Garage
RAF West Raynham – Front gates
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