RAF Watton
Photos - 45.
Where - Watton, Norfolk.
Visited - July 2006.
Posted - 12 August 2006.
Categories -
urbex, hangar, now-demolished, raf.
RAF Watton closed in 1991 and sold in 1998. The residential areas were sold for residential use; and most of the technical buildings have been demolished, ie control towers, water towers, boiler rooms etc.
Four hangars remain and what is thought to be an old armoury. Everything was stupidly trashed though - that didn't deter us from the explore..
Hangars
The four hangars are concrete C-Type hangars. One was full of dirt. One was full of diggers (presumably for demolition of the site) - couldn't get into this one. The other two were full of pigeon crap.
Armoury
This was totally trashed too. In one room there was some weird black goop coming out of a ventilation duct..
Your Comments
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Posted 2 October 2006, 22:00 From smiffy
I am so out of date, I didn't even know this base had shut ! Good stuff yet again tho.
Posted 12 October 2006, 14:30 From whisper
This brought back some memories, used to love this place as a kid. Last time I was there they'd just started tearing it down, glad its not all gone yet.
Posted 25 October 2006, 21:30 From Davy
Best 3 years of my life there on the Canberras. I was there when it closed. What a shame.
Posted 5 January 2007, 01:20 From norman hall
I was at Watton during the sixties. How sad to see the state of it now. It was a most happly station. Unfortunately the old married quarters house retarded morons who destroy things. Good site, keep up the good work
Posted 6 February 2007, 16:10 From Graham
I did an electronics course in the armoury of all places in '69.
What I remember most is how nice the water was out of the tap in the morning - honest, Some places have vile drinking water.
Posted 26 February 2007, 21:30 From Colin
Good site,was based here for 5 years in the sixties. Great RAF Station
Posted 7 March 2007, 19:40 From Ralph Swift
Flew Meteor NF11' s 14's also the Canberra out of Watton in the mid 50's. It is sad to see such a good Station in this state of repair.
Posted 17 March 2007, 08:50 From Roger Williams
Arrived at Watton Oct 68 from 4Sof TT as LAC Propulsion Mech.Assigned to ASF or SSF in Hanger 4. Great place to work and play.Learnt how to drink at the naafi and the Flying Fish.great place.Moved to Cottesmore when it closed.Never the same
Posted 18 March 2007, 09:00 From Colin
Looking at the photos, the building you call the armoury was between 3 & 4 hangar and was the research unit of EWSW.
Posted 12 May 2007, 15:40 From michael
i am now working on the old base, it is a shame that the air base is now almost gone. i work for a groundworks company digging all the new footings for the houses.
Posted 12 June 2007, 21:50 From Neil
Hi michael bet it looks different there now compared to when i was there in october.
Posted 15 June 2007, 20:20 From Paul Gregg
I was here for 5 days in summer of '74 with RAF TSW providing fuel support 'in the field' for an intensive Harrier MK3 exercise. I remember the mature trees and neatly cut grass near the main hangars on what were super balmy summer evenings.I thought then it was a beautiful place. Tragic to see recent photos. T2 hangars were being stripped at that time on another side of the airfield. Novelties we discovered down in the bomb dumps were a Victor flap and an ancient horse drawn open carriage! All things are transient.
Posted 21 June 2007, 19:50 From jimbo
Spent a great week at Watton on ROC summer camp in June '91. As Paul Gregg said, lovely balmy evenings and a beautiful Station which we weren't allowed to explore, much to my regret. Anyone know if the OM and the accom blocks are still up ? From multimap it looks like they are.
Posted 24 June 2007, 20:50 From FRANCIS DOWSE
HI,I WAS AN MT DRIVER,IN THE 60s LOVED THE STATION,MADE SOME REAL GOOD MATES AT WATTON,ITs A SHAME TO SEE THE PLACE,TORN APART LIKE THIS.FRANK DOWSE,EX LIVERPOOL,
Posted 28 June 2007, 22:50 From Reg Metcalfe
Fantastic photos although sad to see destruction. Lived in one of the barrack blocks whilst stationed at Honington as a Fireman from 82-85. Any body got photos of the old Fire Station here.
Posted 14 August 2007, 20:00 From steve
brilliant pictures!, I live across the road from RAF watton and have spent my life growing up going on the base,i have an intrest in the goings on back then and would have no problem getting you some more pictures of the site you dont have, also of Bodney, let me know!
Posted 14 August 2007, 20:10 From steve
ive raced a land rover round in this hanger back in my army cadet days!!
Posted 26 August 2007, 21:00 From steve
Great shots, i live across the road from the old camp, anyone got any pictures from when it was a working station, would be well recieved.
Posted 20 September 2007, 10:10 From Chris Powell
I spent a week at RAF Watton in the Summer of 1967 with my schools CCF section. Very happy memories! If I returned could I still gain access (lawfully) to the airfiels and possibly the barrack block in which I stayed?
Posted 27 December 2007, 19:00 From John Ades CPL
I was a Cpl Cook from August 1954 till demob on 11/01/1957
The airmans mees is now a carpet store
Posted 15 January 2008, 17:40 From Derrick Reid
Spent an very enjoyable 10 days here (as a base of operations) whilst attending an Air Cadets summer camp - twinned with Honington during the late 1980's.
Very sad to see it in it's demolished state !
Great site though !
Posted 19 February 2008, 17:30 From John Tate
It's funny how you look back on certain times of your life with great affection. I did my national service at Watton, 56-58, working in Flying Wing HQ, 2 Hangar. I too remember the balmy summer days, peddling out to the tower for docs of one description or another. Went back to have a look about five years ago and was so sorry to see the place in such a state. The good memories remain.
Posted 20 February 2008, 10:00 From John Tate
Oh dear - a 'senior' moment! I did, of course, pedal, not the other sort! Also, on recollection I think Flying Wing was in 3 Hangar rather than 2. I can still remember all the various types of aircraft in there - some real oddities like the Swift and Javelin and the old Washington's belonging to 192 Sqdn.
Posted 1 March 2008, 13:40 From stacey
hi i live in the houses that are built on raf watton on the spot that was the officers club and sherlie club heard it was haunted
Posted 7 March 2008, 10:30 From Dennis Brigden
How sad to see how things are today. I did my National sevice here from 1950 to 1952. Was a radio mechanic servicing all ground transmitter sites & control tower equipment. Lived in the HF transmitter site together with 2 other guys. Our boss was Sgt Gordon Rathbone. Great memories.
Posted 16 March 2008, 08:30 From eddy
me n mi mates mess on it all da time lol p.s theres only 1 hanger left
Posted 16 March 2008, 19:40 From snowballs
the good tyms on watton raf camp r awsome u ask how many tys fire engines n police cars avbin thee fink theymyt av ost count i went in everybuilding near enuf wat a gr8 place to piss bout
Posted 2 May 2008, 09:50 From sam kerr
i cant believe my dad used to work here and now its been demolished just to build some new houses!!!!!
Posted 5 August 2008, 14:00 From Glen Green
I WAS STATIONED AT WATTON 1955=57 GREAT TIMES I WAS THE CAMP BUTCHER AND WORKED FROM THE AIRMANS MESS OVER THE ROAD FROM MAINGAIT WHICH IS STILL STANDING NOW SELLS FURNITURE WE WHERE BILLETED IN A HUT NEXT TO HOSPITAL WISHED I COULD MEAT UP OLD MATES FROM COOKHOUSE
Posted 21 September 2008, 12:00 From John Beavin BEV
Spent 2 years as mt driver at Watton, Nov 1950 to March 52. some drivers I remember, Pat English, Mitchel, Taff Evans, Draper, lindsay, Alexandra, Womack, and Fred. I used to do the liberty run to Norwich at week ends with a Bedford trooper, had some great times there, especially in the Flying Fish.
Posted 2 October 2008, 20:20 From norman hall
Hi I posted a comment earlier. I live in Norfolk and drove by Watton very recently and it really is happening Demolition is in full swing and I cannot help but feel that a Station that was so full of life is being turned into an ugly dull housing complex with the sole purpose of being a dormitory for commuters.
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