RAF Church Fenton! - August 2016

Derelict Places

Help Support Derelict Places:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

mockingbird

Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Joined
Sep 27, 2013
Messages
1,908
Reaction score
4,813
Location
Near London Charing Cross.
Ops Fenton!​

5AM awakening in a posh hotel accompanied with pool table, 4 phone alarms finally got us up, after no sleep from the previous day due to travelling and exploring, we spent most of the night eating junk food, drinking and alike, so 5AM alarms was not going to be good for any of us.

After waving goodbye to Newcastle and enjoying our mammoth trip up north, I decided to show the guys this place but we had one stop before (priorities and all that). Having already explored this place a few months ago due to heading this way too have a meeting, the guys loved it and I still rank it as one of the best RAF bases in terms of decay, no/minimal vandalism and general brilliant vibe.

The decay inside certain rooms is phenomenal it reminded me of Cambridge Military Hospital in someways well the maternity ward anyway, so fond memories flooded back each time I found extensive decay.
We all pretty much had free run of most the buildings, although some explorers turned up in the building we was in at the very start, we never saw them again so nice to meet you lads :radar:

I suggest anyone in the area to check this place out, the photography merit alone you can create here is brilliant, after spending 3 hours showing them we had other places to head too, so we bid farewell to Fenton and was back on the road on route to other places that was on our hit list of the day.

History below!

First opened in 1937, RAF Church Fenton is the former home of the first American Eagle Squadrons and was formally regarded as one of the UK's most important strategic airfields, offering rapid reaction fighter defence to the industrial cities of Sheffield, Bradford and Leeds during the second World War. Now, after decades of faithful service in defence of the realm, the air station stands as a lonely hostage to both time and decay.

On 1 April 1937 the station was declared open and on 19 April the first station commander Wing Commander W.E. Swann assumed command. Within two months, No. 71 Squadron RAF had arrived with their Gloster Gladiators. During September 1940 Church Fenton became home to the first "Eagle squadron" of American volunteers - No. 71 Squadron RAF and their Brewster Buffalos and Hawker Hurricanes. The airfield was also home to both the first all-Canadian and all-Polish squadrons, No. 242 Squadron RAF and No. 306 Squadron RAF respectively.

As air warfare became a more tactical and technological pursuit, the first night-fighter Operational Training Unit was formed at Church Fenton in 1940 and some of the squadrons stationed there began to fly the famous de Havilland Mosquito. After the close of the war, the station retained its role as a fighter base, being among the first to receive modern jet aircraft, namely the Gloster Meteor and the Hawker Hunter. In later years, Church Fenton became the RAF's main Elementary Flying Training airfield.

On 25 March 2013 it was announced that Church Fenton would close by the end of 2013 and By 19 December, all units had been relocated and the airfield was closed. Some equipment was be relocated to RAF Topcliffe and MoD security continued to secure the site until disposal. A NOTAM was issued suspending the air traffic zone at the end of 2013.

In February 2015, the airfield was sold to a private enterprise and renamed 'Leeds East Airport'. Now divided into two, half of the site comprising of all the former military buildings is rapidly decaying and there are no plans to renovate it. The live side of the airfield is home to a private airport and a commercial flight training school.


On with the Mockingbird Moodiness, tried to mix up the angles/shots from previous reports. :mrgreen:


28997104572_e8a3264db4_c.jpg


28996979232_e832d5da8b_c.jpg


29025012981_d7c0003752_c.jpg


29069399566_bb214c9cf1_c.jpg


29069317576_1324ee9ec3_c.jpg


28996989762_4948d45bae_c.jpg


29069314316_2e0035cf6f_c.jpg


28997018342_f13355babf_c.jpg


28815542530_ca4896f98c_c.jpg


28483716043_d212568945_c.jpg


29101982225_3a41baa89d_c.jpg


28480727164_7ca73f0e25_c.jpg


28815643300_b029eafbe8_c.jpg


29025112001_ea4cea8099_c.jpg


28480672244_5171e1cf8a_c.jpg


28815567600_bf5eaae4f1_c.jpg


28815620470_caaaa7dccc_c.jpg


29102084805_67741bf8a2_c.jpg


29102041465_8bb9cca802_c.jpg


29069364836_498461f61d_c.jpg


28480712444_82650aa23f_c.jpg


29069368976_9fbe3b668f_c.jpg


29102063435_90ea2bd743_c.jpg


28480745914_a941cc080e_c.jpg


29102055165_aa008dbf80_c.jpg


29102047045_9156398806_c.jpg


29025040701_d5c4bdce9a_c.jpg



Cheers as always for looking everyone, still have loads to share and plowing into a backlog still!
:mrgreen:
 
I know this isn't a 'photography' bulletin board but photos six and seven are rather tasty....

Interesting to see how much has changed over the past couple of years.
 
I know this isn't a 'photography' bulletin board but photos six and seven are rather tasty....

Interesting to see how much has changed over the past couple of years.

Ah well I try :D it all depends on the place for good photos ect lighting especially despite me using little lighting to start with, did the whole place torchless ha an some parts are pretty dark and not easy to shoot, appreciate the comments Druid so thank you! :D and yes very interesting first post I saw of here was a few years back!
 
Good to see you're still exploring. I've missed seeing your style.

Hello stranger :D yes I am still exploring plenty reports for you to catch up on, been so busy though have a book release soon and other things in the pipework so yeah I have been so busy, glad to see ive remained consistent :D
 
Back
Top