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This was a revisit for me as had a mate with me who had never seen the control tower here before and we were passing, so thought 'why not'. This time made sure I took in the other RAF buildings nearby. Here's the history bit from the first time around.
RAF Coleby Grange was a World War 2 Royal Air Force station situated alongside the western edge of the A15 between the village of Coleby and Nocton Heath, some 12 km south of Lincoln. It first opened in 1939 as a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell before being transferred to RAF Digby. It then operated as a fighter and night fighter airfield. Despite this it never had the feel of permanence of its parent station with its three grass runways, temporary Nissen and Quonset huts and solitary Type T1 hanger. The nearby Coleby Hall was commandeered Officers' Mess during the war.
Encircled by concrete perimeter track, by 1944 it boasted 9 hangars and accommodation for around 1800 personal. In August 1944 RAF Digby took on a non-operational role leaving Coleby Grange to combat the threat of night raids in Lincolnshire on its own.
It closed after the war but then re-opened between 1959 and 1963 when it housed a Thor missile unit and three launchers before closing again and the land auctioned off. Most of the buildings have now been demolished and only a small number have been adapted to alternate uses by local farmers. The original air operations control tower and part of a Thor blast wall still stand. Apparently the control tower is reputed to be haunted!
On with the pix. Let's start with the control tower:
img3774 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3776 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3778 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This was a new addition since my last visit:
img3779 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3782 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3790 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Up top we go...
img3785 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3786 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3793 by HughieDW, on Flickr
On to the other buildings close by:
img3781 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3792 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3795 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This looked like a roofless pillbox:
img3797 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3798 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3799 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3803 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!
RAF Coleby Grange was a World War 2 Royal Air Force station situated alongside the western edge of the A15 between the village of Coleby and Nocton Heath, some 12 km south of Lincoln. It first opened in 1939 as a relief landing ground for RAF Cranwell before being transferred to RAF Digby. It then operated as a fighter and night fighter airfield. Despite this it never had the feel of permanence of its parent station with its three grass runways, temporary Nissen and Quonset huts and solitary Type T1 hanger. The nearby Coleby Hall was commandeered Officers' Mess during the war.
Encircled by concrete perimeter track, by 1944 it boasted 9 hangars and accommodation for around 1800 personal. In August 1944 RAF Digby took on a non-operational role leaving Coleby Grange to combat the threat of night raids in Lincolnshire on its own.
It closed after the war but then re-opened between 1959 and 1963 when it housed a Thor missile unit and three launchers before closing again and the land auctioned off. Most of the buildings have now been demolished and only a small number have been adapted to alternate uses by local farmers. The original air operations control tower and part of a Thor blast wall still stand. Apparently the control tower is reputed to be haunted!
On with the pix. Let's start with the control tower:
img3774 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3776 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3778 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This was a new addition since my last visit:
img3779 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3782 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3790 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Up top we go...
img3785 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3786 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3793 by HughieDW, on Flickr
On to the other buildings close by:
img3781 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3792 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3795 by HughieDW, on Flickr
This looked like a roofless pillbox:
img3797 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3798 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3799 by HughieDW, on Flickr
img3803 by HughieDW, on Flickr
Thanks for looking!