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.
Not much remains of the base when I visited – most of it had been demolished.
There were four hangars concrete C-Type hangars at Watton…
Hangar 1
This has been partly demolished. Just the roof remains…
Hangar 2
This is still complete, and full of dirt.
Hangar 3
This has been totally gutted, and the doors taken off. The offices on the airfield side have been demolished. Half of the ones on the other side are gone too. There are lots of red crosses painted on the side – I can only assume for drilling and filling with explosives…
Hangar 4
This hangar was full of diggers – presumably owned by the demolition contractors. The offices on the side are relatively un-interesting. But colourful.
The little building
The armoury was once here.
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I am so out of date, I didn’t even know this base had shut ! Good stuff yet again tho.
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.
Best 3 years of my life there on the Canberras. I was there when it closed. What a shame.
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
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.
Good site,was based here for 5 years in the sixties. Great RAF Station
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.
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
Looking at the photos, the building you call the armoury was between 3 & 4 hangar and was the research unit of EWSW.
As a radar mechanic,I departed Watton in March 1953 having spent a year there with the Calibration Sqdn. I revisited in August 1986. Then the station was non-flying and mostly intact but rather run down. The control tower had been much modified but the original structure was evident.Hanger 4 was my workplace and have many happy memories of my fellow airmen. I really do appreciate your efforts in photographically recording the demise of this once proud station. However there is an excellent reproduction of Watton which I have downloaded into FS9 alongh with a couple of Lincolns. So all is not lost.
Regards Ron B
I used to deliver, bloodhound rockets for storage. They were from West Raynham. That was in the early 70.s. Sad to see both stations going to seed.
Nice site, with some great pictures. Keep up the good work.
Great photos ! Iwas had a good look round a a couple of years ago and was meaning to return to take some photos myself but never got round to it.
Hi, i live near this place and if u want i can update here with more pictures? it’s up to you?
also there are ways into some of the places you can’t get e.g. the 4th hanger..
Thanks everyone
John – thanks for the offer. If you set up a photo gallery at http://www.fotopic.net, I will gladly link to it…
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.