RAF Oakington closed many years ago – in 1999 to be precise. A year later the domestic areas were turned into a high security immigration reception centre.
The good news is that technical buildings such as boiler-rooms and hangars aren’t on the IRC site. The even better news is that there’s a car boot sale on this part of the site every weekend, making access really easy.
But now for some bad news. The whole site is to go to make way for a new Cambridge commuter town…
Hangars
There are four hangars on site – two J-types with curved rooves, and two T2 metal hangars.
I managed to get inside one of them. Despite being really empty, I was awestruck by it’s size. Things banging on the roof made it ever-so-slightly scary in there (pigeons? expanding metal in the heat?).
Water Tower / Boilers
There was a delightful brick water tower attatched to a boiler house. As with most places, the ladder had been cut off 
Inside the boiler house were, er, boilers…
A metal water tower was also there.
An office
A lot of the buildings were sealed up, but I managed to get into a few. The first seemed to be some sort of office/records building.
A stores building
The other seemed to be a stores building. It had ramps & bays for (un)loading vans
Other buildings etc
All locked up.
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Hi
My Dad , Ronald Ferguson (a flight engineer) and my Mum, Joan Ferguson ( a telephonist, nee Sweetland) were stationed at Oakington. They met at Oakington , and married in January 1944. Dad was shot down on a bombing raid from there in April 1944. He spent that last 14 months of the war in Stalag luft 3 . I would dearly love to hear from anyone who knew them or anyone whose parents were there.
Cheers
Wendy
Hi
I went to Oakington recently. ( in April 2007) There is a farm along the road past the main gate of the current immagration facility. It was open ( I am not sure why, it had a padllock on it, but on the day we were there it was open.) We went through and if you go around you can see from the back of the old base. I am not sure if it is the actual runway, but there is clearly a sort of runway where the planes came and went from the hangers. I found it incredibly moving to be in a place where my Dad had been. If your parents were stationed there, I really think you would be moved by a visit there.
Cheers
Wendy
My Father Andrew Walker Mair was stationed at Oakington during the war. Met and married my mother who was a Oakington girl, Doris Hardy then. After the war I remember sitting in the Linc Trainer. Open days etc. Depending on which direction the wind was blowing planes used to take off over the church, where we lived almost next door. I remember the new jets, parachute drops etc. Once a vampire crashed in a field just down the road from the church. I have my father’s entire flight log books and quite a few pictures from there. My Grandfather George Hardy also worked on the drome at that time.
I was stationed at RAF Oakington from 1960 to 1962 and was a medic at the Station Sick Quarters.
My father (Vampire Pilot) was based at RAF oakington around 1961, I was about 4 yrs old and attended Hatton Park Primary School. I remember: being put into the cockpit of a vampire, sitting in an ejection seat in the squadron hut, being put into the officers mess batchelor accomodation when mess balls were on and having a damaged joystick from a vulcan bomber with which I used to “drive” our Jaguar car in the back seat – other kids had a plastic steering wheel – not me, I could launch nuclear bombs at anyone who got in our way!!!!
RAF Oakington was my first posting, out of trade training in 1973, i worked in mtss until the station was disbanded as a RAF base in 1975.
i was one of the last remaining airmen on parade that closing day.
and will always remember the sad day the RAF ensign was hauled down for the last time.
thanks for the memories. so sad to see how the old airfield and hangers have become. I was an LAC first line mechanic 1973-1975 and remember we were all fond of the varsity aircraft ( flying pigs) despite having to clean all the oil off every turnaround,and had many a good time, especially on night flying duties. The pilots laid on free beer at the end of stints.
I was there 88 -93 had some good times there. Sad to see the disrepair that it has slipped into since. Time goes on i suppose.
Have just re-read the various comments.The Immigration Housing had me, I guess they were housed in our old H Block barracks. I spent many a month, National Service 1954-56 in the first H block on the left after going through the main gate.Some of the names, Brian Hitchcock, Amis, Ray Tuffs from Leeds, Ray Banham Norwich I think,Fitzsimmons from London and Ray Packham who still lives in Heathfield Sussex. Some very good friends are remembered here. (Here, is Oakville Ontario Canada)
I have an old friend that flew lancasters from Oakington during the last War and he commented on how comfortable and stately Oakington was in relation to some of the ‘temporary’ airfields…he later severd at RAF Ludford Magna…another airfield that has all but vanished. It is a tragedy that not one wartime Bomber Airfield has been preserved for future generations. And a sad statement on British Heritage…
I was posted to RAF Oakington in sept 1952 after doing my trade training as a aircraft electrician, working on Meteor aircraft used for pilot training on “A” flight, I was billeted in E block room 8, and after a day’s work spent many hour’s in the YMCA hut in the evening playing darts and drinking tea, I can remember the trainee pilots if they left any equipment on, after returning from a flight, would be fined and the money would be put into a flight fund for a evening out. I left the camp in March 1954 and the place holds a lot of memories for me. It’s sad to see the camp looking as it doe’s in the above photographs.
I was stationed at Oakington from 1981-1985 with 657 Sqn AAC. It’s very sad to see the place in such a derelict state!
I remember one night just after night flying had finished I was the duty driver and I had to lock up the tower. I started checking the offices from top to bottom and all were empty and locked. When I got to the ground floor I heard footsteps on the lino floor!! There was no one there! I shot off and let the duty NCO lock up instead!
I enjoyed my time at Oakington and even now I still miss it.
I was at Oakington from 1955 to 1958. We arrived from trade training in January. Bitterly cold and snowing. we were put in the transit billets: Nissen huts with iron stoves. We burnt the furniture and stole coal to keep warm.
I was on No. 1 Squadron (Vampires) as an instrument mech. Anyone remember Chiefy Turner – strict but fair? He got a B.E.M., well deserved, and we all cheered.
I had a great time there, even when freezing my nether regions on night flying.
I found your site while trying to get some background on Oakington as I have just been there on business and was interested to find out more as the place still has quite an atmosphere.
Sorry to say but you are not likely to ever get back in there to look around as the front section before the Water Towers is now an Imigration Detention Centre and the workshop, hanger, apron and whats left of the runway/s and taxiways etc, are all fenced off and patrolled by security guards. The Hangers themselves are all sealed up for H&S reasons (It was very foolish of you to enter the J-Types) and most of the other buildings have now been sealed against vandals and thieves. Within the next 5 years or so the whole site is scheduled to be cleared and redeveloped. A lot of the land around the centre of the site is farm land so you “may” be able to get close (not the Longstanton end) to some parts but you may be stopped and “asked” to leave by the security units. I’ll be going back there soon if I remember I’ll take a camera as I may be climbing the Water Towers. What a View.
just a quick note been there recently due to a visit as a contractor for the detention centre the water tower is now fenced off as i put it up with help of course.
speaking to one of the dentention officers for gsl cameras are now in use whether to belive it or not is up to you folks.