RAF West Raynham, Norfolk, UK

A large abandoned RAF base in Norfolk with lots of buildings that remain in good condition. The station closed in 1994 and was held in reserve until 2006.

Visited July 2015

Nr Fakenham, Norfolk, England Derelict

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.

Control Tower Restoration

The control tower has recently been undergoing restoration by new owners. They have a Facebook page documenting the fantastic work they are doing – it’s always good to see buildings being saved and preserved in this way.