RAF Harwell

I have updated this blog with some new photos now it is not linked to Flickr
RAF Harwell was a Royal Air Force airfield in former Berkshire, England, near the village of Harwell, later the site of the Atomic Energy Research Establishment and Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The site is now in Oxfordshire.  (taken from Wikipedia
When I started working at Diamond which is on the Ruterford site and I always wondered how much of the old RAF site was still left, some parts I could see like the old Hangers and runways but when on Hanger was demolished I thought I should record what could be seen. The site is vast and at first you could not see much beyond security fence of Harwell but then it was moved so it was time to find out what was there.

The Harwell site taken in 1944 with the A34 running from left to right at the top. Using this photo I was able to locate a lot of the old RAF site

A short Sterling towing a Horsa Glider at Harwell in 1944 from Wikipedia

This was the longest runway and most likely the one the previous photo. Diamond Light source was built across part of it.

 I suspect that is is part of the end of the runway at Harwell now used as storage, the photo was taken by Des Blenkinsopp off Geograph

This is now called Fermi Avenue which was the second of the runways  at RAF Harwell, during the 1950;s a US air force jet made an emergency landing here. Diamond Light Source is over to the right

Old photo of the crash I sourced off the internet, in the background you can see one of the hangers that was demolished some time after 2005

This was the Third runway which bisected the other two again Diamond in the distance was built on part of it which prior to that was used for a car park by Rutherford.

One of the taxiways which lead off to the dispersal points which still exist. The bomb store was the area you see around the centre it was cleared away a few years ago when it was found to be full of contaminated waste near the school you can see in the photo The cleared are you see was part of an archaeological dig where a roman villa and iron age roundhouse were discovered. This area is now being built on. The photo was taken from the Mound at Rutherford.

 Track leading to the old bomb store

Part of the perimeter road that will lead to a dispersal site

 

In this photo you can see two dispersal points to the right out of photo are another two of them

  This photo is to show a relic of RAF Harwells beginning were they were helping develop a catapult system for Grass airfields only instead of stem it was worked by air pressure. They used Merlin engines as compressors which did not work too well being as that was not what they were designed for. This photo show one of the legs the lighter coloured grass are mid photo. If you look in the first photo about mid picture just by the road and runway you can make the shape out.  You can read more about it in the link Harwell-Catapult-pit

 

 I have ringed the catapult in red at the top of the photo

In the screen shot above off Google Earth you can see the outline of the catapult where it lays under the ground

2022 had a dry summer and the catapult showed up even better

 

Another screen capture of my iphone 

 

Photo was taken by  MOLA (Museum of London Archaeology)
This was the pit after it was excavated before removal. The one thing I did not realise is that part went under the old runway on the right and also had part of the concrete runway either side of the pit for the aircraft wheels to run along. The blue circle bottom left is a gun pit that was uncovered during excavations. You can read about the excavation here

 

 If you look by the runway you can also find some of the old runway lights

Sad to say I feel the catapult and runway lights have gone as they were erecting a new building here in 2023

In the background of this photo you can see a Hangar this was demolished not long after this photo was taken. The people in the photo are waiting for explosion that will bring down the building in the foreground, it failed to fall due to a couple of bits of one inch rebar which was later removed with pecker on an excavator

This is the remaining hangar at Harwell and at the present time the reactor inside is being decommissioned, I think after the the building will be demolished.

 The old entrance to Harwell which would have been the entrance to the RAF base though the buildings (Guard House) may have been a little different

Once the Security fence moved I was able to get some photos of the old RAF Buildings, this is the Station HQ where the CO would have had his office.

The Airman's Mess which became the AERE Restaurant.

The RAF Station Commander's house and then Prof Cockcroft's, the first AERE Director. It's boarded up as the area was to be demolished for a new hotel and conference centre.

This is not on the RAF site but in Harwell Cemetery and has 93 war graves most of which are RAF personnel whom I presume lost their lives during service at Harwell

The Plaque you will find at the end of the main runway, each year there is a service held by Harwell and Rutherford and wreaths laid.

 

 

  I will try to update this blog with some more photos of the parts that remain around the site.

RAF Hampstead Norreys

I was attracted to this one because of the pillboxes shown on the DOB so a visit was in order. I remember the place from diving past for many years and over time had watched parts disappear.  One place comes to mind is the guard house which was near the stables at Wyld Court. It was there for years then I noticed it had been removed, maybe it had deteriorated and the landowner demolished it. The photo below was taken in 1955 and you can see the three runways and all the dispersal points.  wikipedia

I decided to go along and see how many of the pillboxes were left and in what condition they were. One I knew as near the farm as it can be seen when you drive past and I had spotted a second in the woods on the way from Aldworth.

Turned out to be well overgrown with brambles though did have some of the embrasure  shutters from the war still in place. From there is was a drive round to the farm to ask if it was ok to visit the one in the field. The Manager was a little reluctant due to other people wandering round with out asking but as I had he told me where to go an look for the pillboxes.

One of the reasons for visiting was the field had no crops in so easy to get to. The external is suffering from erosion and on to it still has earth from the camouflage.
Inside there are shutters, the steel door and gun mount.

The next is across the old airfield quite near what was an old quarry, the door from this one was outside. Finding the next was by luck as I popped into the woods to look at a building and spotted the pillbox.

  

 The last pillbox was reached by walking along a footpath that was near Aldworth then cutting across the field.

 

 

Outside is eroded and the earth is still on top along with the curly wire posts for barbed wire, inside are more along with shutters and the steel door in place

 The rest of the old airfield is worth a look with old air raid shelters in place as well as the bases of buildings and the ammunition dump.

 

 

 The one above is being distorted by tree roots which is growing on top

 

You can even come across the odd aircraft tie down. The old runways have been removed though parts of the perimeter track still exist. The place where the main runway used to be is used by light aircraft which are kept on site  near the farm.
The place was worth the time to visit and look round and hopefully I will get back for the parts I have missed.