Long Marston Airfield
Encyclopedia
Long Marston Airfield was a Royal Air Force
base between 1941 and 1954, situated approximately 3 miles south west of Stratford-upon-Avon
near the village of Long Marston
in Warwickshire
.
.
It is now managed by Anthony Hodges, and is home to:
It is also well known as a venue for summertime music festivals, including Godskitchen
Global Gathering
, the Bulldog Bash
, and the Phoenix Festival
.
Grass strip: 02/20
Disused runway, hard surface: 34/16 (used for aircraft movements to hangars, driver training, etc.)
Disused runway, hard surface: 11/29 (buildings, Sunday market, etc.)
24 OTU (training unit) airfield which opened in 11/1941 and closed in 1954.
It had the regular 3-runway layout, with three hangars (1× B1, 2× T2).
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
base between 1941 and 1954, situated approximately 3 miles south west of Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon
Stratford-upon-Avon is a market town and civil parish in south Warwickshire, England. It lies on the River Avon, south east of Birmingham and south west of Warwick. It is the largest and most populous town of the District of Stratford-on-Avon, which uses the term "on" to indicate that it covers...
near the village of Long Marston
Long Marston, Warwickshire
Long Marston is a village about southwest of Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England. The southern and western boundaries of the parish also form part of the county boundary with Worcestershire.-History:...
in Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
.
.
It is now managed by Anthony Hodges, and is home to:
- the Avon Microlight Club
- Freedom Sports Aviation (club and flying school; Chief Flying Instructor Simon BakerSimon Baker (pilot)Simon Baker is an aviator and the Chief Flying Instructor at Freedom Sports Aviation . He has three times been Microlight World Champion and six times British Champion....
) - the Shakespeare County RacewayShakespeare County RacewayLocated near Stratford-upon-Avon in Warwickshire, England, Shakespeare County Raceway became a permanent drag racing facility in 1980 when it was known as 'Long Marston Raceway', although drag racing events had occurred on the Long Marston Airfield site sporadically since the early 1970s. The...
dragstripDragstripA dragstrip is a facility for conducting automobile and motorcycle acceleration events such as drag racing. Although a quarter mile is the best known measure for a drag track, many tracks are eighth mile tracks... - the Long Marston Clay Shooting Ground.
It is also well known as a venue for summertime music festivals, including Godskitchen
Godskitchen
Godskitchen is an international superclub brand which is associated with dance music and organises events, particularly in the UK and US. The company runs a club night of the same name at their nightclub AIR, in Birmingham, England and has an in-house music label...
Global Gathering
Global Gathering
GlobalGathering is an annual dance music festival by Angel Music Group. Festivals are held in countries such as the UK, Poland, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and feature leading electronica artists from across the globe...
, the Bulldog Bash
Bulldog Bash
The Bulldog Bash is considered to be one of Europe's most popular, annual, motorcycle festivals with a reported attendance of 50,000 people in 2007...
, and the Phoenix Festival
Phoenix Festival
The Phoenix Festival was set up by Vince Power of the Mean Fiddler Music Group in 1993 as an alternative to the established Glastonbury and Reading Festivals...
.
Runways
Main runway, hard surface: 04/22 (of which the SW third is used as a drag strip)Grass strip: 02/20
Disused runway, hard surface: 34/16 (used for aircraft movements to hangars, driver training, etc.)
Disused runway, hard surface: 11/29 (buildings, Sunday market, etc.)
History
Long Marston was an RAF Bomber CommandRAF Bomber Command
RAF Bomber Command controlled the RAF's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. During World War II the command destroyed a significant proportion of Nazi Germany's industries and many German cities, and in the 1960s stood at the peak of its postwar military power with the V bombers and a supplemental...
24 OTU (training unit) airfield which opened in 11/1941 and closed in 1954.
It had the regular 3-runway layout, with three hangars (1× B1, 2× T2).