North Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of
North Weald BassettNorth Weald Bassett is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located east of Epping, south-east of Chipping Ongar and south of Harlow....
in
Epping ForestEpping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. It is named for Epping Forest, of which the district contains a large part...
,
EssexEssex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
. It was an important fighter station during the
Battle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command...
, when it was known as the
RAF StationA Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
RAF North Weald. At the present time it is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. It is currently unlicensed but is home to many private aircraft and historic types, and is host to a wide range of events throughout the year, including the Air-Britain Classic
Fly-inA fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes.Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport or in a farmer's field.Fly-ins can be aimed at specific...
and smaller
airshowAn air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows".Air shows are held for a variety of...
s.
North Weald fighter base was founded in the summer of 1916 during the First World War by the
Royal Flying CorpsThe Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery cooperation and photographic reconnaissance...
.
North Weald Airfield is an operational airfield, near the village of
North Weald BassettNorth Weald Bassett is a village and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of the County of Essex, England. It is located east of Epping, south-east of Chipping Ongar and south of Harlow....
in
Epping ForestEpping Forest is a local government district of the county of Essex, England. It is named for Epping Forest, of which the district contains a large part...
,
EssexEssex is a county in the East of England region of the United Kingdom. The county town of Essex is Chelmsford.-History:In pre-Roman Britain the territories of Suffolk and Essex were home to the Trinovantes tribe, which had grown wealthy through intensive trade with the Roman Empire, contemporary...
. It was an important fighter station during the
Battle of BritainThe Battle of Britain is the name given to the air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940. The objective of the campaign was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force , especially Fighter Command...
, when it was known as the
RAF StationA Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
RAF North Weald. At the present time it is the home of North Weald Airfield Museum. It is currently unlicensed but is home to many private aircraft and historic types, and is host to a wide range of events throughout the year, including the Air-Britain Classic
Fly-inA fly-in is a pre-arranged gathering of aircraft, pilots and passengers for recreational and social purposes.Fly-ins may be formally or informally organised, members of the public may or may not be invited, the gathering may be at an airport or in a farmer's field.Fly-ins can be aimed at specific...
and smaller
airshowAn air show is an event at which aviators display their flying skills and the capabilities of their aircraft to spectators in aerobatics. Air shows without aerobatic displays, having only aircraft displayed parked on the ground, are called "static air shows".Air shows are held for a variety of...
s.
History
North Weald fighter base was founded in the summer of 1916 during the First World War by the
Royal Flying CorpsThe Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery cooperation and photographic reconnaissance...
. Its military functions continued to develop during the interwar period, with the building of large
hangarA hangar is a closed structure to hold aircraft in protective storage. Most hangars are built of metal, but wood and concrete are other materials used. The word hangar comes from a northern French dialect, and means "cattle pen."...
s and accommodation for
Royal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the United Kingdom's air force, the oldest independent air force in the world. Formed on 1 April 1918, the RAF has taken a significant role in British military history ever since, playing a large part in World War II and in more recent conflicts.The RAF operates almost 1,109...
(RAF) personnel. The airfield played an important part in the air defence strategy of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. Initially
Hawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. Some production of the Hurricane was carried out in Canada by the Canada Car and Foundry Co Ltd....
s were deployed at the airfield, alongside
Bristol BlenheimThe Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was later adapted into a successful long-range and night fighter...
night fighterA night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility.Night fighters came into their own during World War II, made possible with the advent of airborne radar. Prior to that, the main components of air defence at night were searchlights and anti-aircraft...
s. The Hurricanes from North Weald saw action over the beaches of
DunkirkDunkirk is a commune in the Nord department in northern France.It lies 10 kilometres from the Belgian border. The population of the city at the 1999 census was 70,850 inhabitants...
and played a key role in the Battle of Britain. In 1940, two
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Eagle SquadronThe Eagle Squadrons were fighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force formed during World War II with volunteer pilots from the United States. While many US recruits simply crossed the border and joined the Royal Canadian Air Force to learn to fly and fight, many of the early recruits had originally...
s moved into North Weald supplied with
SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries through the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used into the 1950s both as a front line fighter and in secondary roles...
s. A couple of years later,
Norwegian squadronsNo. 332 Squadron of the Royal Air Force was formed at RAF Catterick on 16 January 1942, as a Spitfire-equipped fighter squadron manned by Norwegians.-In World War II:...
were re-assigned to the airfield. Various jet fighter squadrons were based at North Weald from 1949 and the sight of
Gloster MeteorThe Gloster Meteor was the first British jet fighter and the Allies' first operational jet. Designed by George Carter, it first flew in 1943 and commenced operations on 27 July 1944 with 616 Squadron of the Royal Air Force...
s and
De Havilland VampireThe de Havilland DH.100 Vampire was a British jet-engined fighter of the Second World War, the second jet-powered aircraft commissioned by the Royal Air Force during the War , although it was not used in combat. The Vampire served with front line RAF squadrons until 1955 and continued in use as a...
fighters in the west Essex skies was commonplace.
The last front line combat unit,
No. 111 Squadron RAFNo. 111 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the RAF Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland.-In World War I:No. 111 Squadron was formed at Deir el-Balah, Palestine on 1 August 1917, with a mixed bag of single seat fighters as the first dedicated fighter squadron in the region...
flying
Hawker HunterThe Hawker Hunter was a UK jet fighter aircraft of the 1950s and 1960s. The Hunter served for many years with the Royal Air Force and was widely exported, serving with 19 air forces. A total of 1,972 Hunters were produced by Hawker Siddeley and under licence....
s, the famous
Black ArrowsThe Black Arrows, one of the predecessors of the current Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, were an aerobatic demonstration team formed in the 1950s from 111 Squadron...
of 22 loop formation fame, left North Weald in 1958. And, in 1964, the RAF withdrew from the airfield completely. The airfield latterly spent time in both
British ArmyThe British Army is the land armed forces branch of the British Armed Forces. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdoms of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England and Scotland and...
and
Royal NavyThe Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of HM Armed Forces . From the beginning of the 18th century until well into the 20th century, it was the most powerful navy in the world, playing a key part in establishing the British Empire as the dominant world power from 1815 until the early...
hands for a short time until in 1979 North Weald became
surplusSurplus may refer to:* "The Surplus", an episode of The Office* Surplus: Terrorized into Being Consumers, a documentary film* Economic surplus, one of various supplementary values...
to the
Ministry of DefenceThe Ministry of Defence is the United Kingdom government department responsible for implementation of government defence policy and is the headquarters of the British Armed Forces....
(MoD) operational requirements and was sold to Epping Forest District Council, who still own the airfield to this day.
Today
One of the original 1927 hangars still remains as does the former Officers Mess, which has now been given Grade 2 listed building status. Some former married quarters, now in private ownership and dating from the early 1970s, can still be seen in Lancaster Road and York Road.
The airfield continues to be very active with many vintage and veteran aircraft such as the Spitfire, Mustang, Kittyhawk, Dakota, Skyraider, Seafire and Harvard based there. In addition, North Weald has become home to many early military jets such as the Hunter, Venom, Vampire, Gnat, Jet Provost and others alongside modern civilian aircraft. Current resident organizations include Area 51, Hangar 11 Collection, Aces High, and Kennet Aviation.
The airfield was granted listed status in 2005.
There is a large Saturday
marketA market is any one of a variety of different systems, institutions, procedures, social relations and infrastructures whereby persons trade, and goods and services are exchanged, forming part of the economy. It is an arrangement that allows buyers and sellers to exchange things...
based on the airfield which draws huge crowds from around Essex and North London. The bus routes 521, 522 and 523 operate to the market and are subsidised by the company which owns the market. The routes pick up passengers from nearby places in Essex, such as
LoughtonLoughton is a town and civil parish in the Epping Forest district of Essex. It is located between 11 and 13 miles north east of Charing Cross in London, south of the M25 and west of the M11 motorway and has boundaries with Chingford, Buckhurst Hill, Theydon Bois, Waltham Abbey, and Chigwell...
,
DebdenDebden is a suburb of the town of Loughton, in the Epping Forest district of Essex, England. The area is predominantly residential, but is also the location of Epping Forest College, East 15 Acting School and the De La Rue printing works...
,
Waltham AbbeyWaltham Abbey is a market town of about 20,400 people in the south west of the county of Essex, in the East of England region. It is about 24 km north of London on the Greenwich Meridian and lies between the River Lea in the west and Epping Forest in the east. It takes its name from Waltham...
,
HarlowHarlow is a former new town and now a borough town and local government district in Essex, England. It is located in the west of the county and on the border with Hertfordshire, on the Stort Valley. The town is near the M11 motorway and forms part of the London commuter belt...
,
BrentwoodBrentwood is a town and the principal settlement of the Borough of Brentwood, part of Essex in England. It is located in the London commuter belt, 20 miles east north-east of Charing Cross in London and near the M25 motorway....
and
OngarOngar can refer toin England*High Ongar, Essex*Chipping Ongar, Essex **Ongar , an ancient administrative unit**Ongar tube stationin Ireland*Ongar, Dublinin Pakistan...
on Saturdays only. Route 522 is the most frequent, operating every half hour to Harlow.
The airfield was used as the transit camp for the 2007
World Scout JamboreeThe World Scout Jamboree is a Scouting jamboree of the World Organization of the Scout Movement, typically attended by several tens of thousands of Scouts from around the world, aged 14 to 17....
.
The Squadron is a private, members-only club based in the old officers mess for friends of the airfield, aviators and aircraft enthusiasts.
In the 1990s, one of the hangars was used as the home for
The Crystal MazeThe Crystal Maze was a game show, produced by Chatsworth Television and shown on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 15 February 1990 to 10 August 1995. There was one series per year, with the first four series presented by Richard O'Brien and the final two by Ed Tudor-Pole, who made his debut in...
, which had moved from
Shepperton StudiosShepperton Studios is a film studio in Shepperton, Surrey, England with a history dating back to 1931. A part of the Pinewood Group along with Pinewood and Teddington Studios, it has produced many notable films.-History:...
because of lack of space.
Future development controversy
The
East of England Regional AssemblyThe East of England Regional Assembly is the regional assembly for the East of England region of the United Kingdom. It is based at Flempton, near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk. The assembly was created as a voluntary regional chamber in 1998 by the Regional Development Agencies Act 1998. The first...
on its
Draft Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England examination in public exercise asked members of the public over the possibility of the airfield location being used as the site for a development plan for 6,000 houses. It received over 6800 objections and followed on strong lobbying against the project by local residents.
External links