RAF Newton

Visited here with Goldie 87 a couple of months back and only just got the chance to upload some photos.

Loads of history on here as its been done plenty of times before


The control tower with hangers behind




School (i think)




Onto the Dog training area/ kennels





Viewing area and compound for dog training?



Onto the officers quarters



Food servery



Bar


Another bar



Nightclub/ big bar



Cinema (where some of This is England was filmed)

Not heard of this place..dont be afraid of putting some history ok..I need some now!!

Ok- sorry heres some history, shamlessly stolen from wikipedia

RAF Newton was assigned to No 1 Group in June 1940, when Nos 103 and 150 squadrons returned from France. These squadrons were re-equipped with Vickers Wellingtons in October 1940 but moved on to more suitable bomber airfields in July 1941.

Newton then became a training base, and for the next five years No. 16 (Polish) Service Flying Training School provided basic and advanced training for Polish airmen serving with the RAF, using RAF Tollerton as a satellite landing ground.

The station became the headquarters of No 12 Group, Fighter Command from 1946 until 1958, when Technical Training Command took over the station for electronic fitters courses.

Later the station became the home of the RAF School of Education, who moved from RAF Upwood in 1972, and the RAF Police Training School, who moved from RAF Debden in 1973 bringing their gate guardian - a Hawker Hunter F1, WT694 (now at Caernarfon Air World) - with them. Both of these units transferred to RAF Halton in the 1990s.

Nice report!

Reminds me a little of RAF Turnhouse (Southern Scotland), which I explored years ago but never put photos online.

Is the bar (with the sofa) actually an older building with visible beams, or is it made to look old?

Some exterior shots would be great if you have them

I can just about imagine how it would look when it was in its prime. Seems as though it's semi-secure with the relative lack of vandalism. I suppose much of the base is still in use for civilian purposes though.

I like the control tower with the crash tender garage beside it.

V70 said:

Nice report!

Reminds me a little of RAF Turnhouse (Southern Scotland), which I explored years ago but never put photos online.

Is the bar (with the sofa) actually an older building with visible beams, or is it made to look old?

Some exterior shots would be great if you have them

I can just about imagine how it would look when it was in its prime. Seems as though it's semi-secure with the relative lack of vandalism. I suppose much of the base is still in use for civilian purposes though.

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The building with the beams is a usual base type building- the beams etc are there to make it feel old

The grafitti in the cinema was from when they filmed 'This is England' as the place is fairly secure as theres about 100 caravans for roadworkers working on the nearby road on site and the hangers are used.

losttom said:

The grafitti in the cinema was from when they filmed 'This is England' as the place is fairly secure as theres about 100 caravans for roadworkers working on the nearby road on site and the hangers are used.

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Thank God it's genuine road workers

did you go to the firing range or any of the pill boxes?

nij4829 said:

did you go to the firing range or any of the pill boxes?

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Yep went to the firing range and one pillbox, don't usually bother!

Goldie87 said:

Yep went to the firing range and one pillbox, don't usually bother!

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I was there wednesday looking at the pill boxes but got drowned. the firing range was good (kept the torential rain kinda sheltered) so got some pics of that. Might do a report as I dont think I have seen a report on it?

Did you try driving in towards the control tower? The road was barriered when i tried

nij4829 said:

Did you try driving in towards the control tower? The road was barriered when i tried

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We walked round the site

nice shots mate this place looks very interesting.

Nice shots, i went there recently but failed miserably to get on site, as there was a massive fence around it and a rather moody farmer Well done!!!

Lolz101 said:

Nice shots, i went there recently but failed miserably to get on site, as there was a massive fence around it and a rather moody farmer Well done!!!

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If you want to go you can come along with me as i wouldnt mind a revisit

Excellent stuff, I pass this place often on the way to visting the inlaws, I often suggest to the missus that I would like to stop off and have a butchers, right about this time a sharp pain begins in my head as she does her death ray stare at me

I love 'This is England', and there are some great scenes from the film filmed around the site.

Brilliant.

Also a little heads up, dunno if anyone knows but Phoenix Airsoft have recently acquired this site and are converting it for use as an urban Airsoft venue, when finished it'll be the largest in the UK. There's some info on their forum. They are currently taking bookings for 'The School' (Pic 2) which afaik is the only building they have in use atm. I'm hoping to go along at the end of october, really can't wait.


Just so noone get the bejesus scared out of them while exploring if 20+ blokes come screaming towards them with guns

Great job fantastic pictures

nice work chaps, water tower? thats some intresting access to say the least

It was early last year when I and a large group visited this place. It was my first and is still a fantastic explore.
I'm surprised the place is still standing, I thought it was supposed to be demolished to make way for an 'eco town'.