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I am so out of date, I didn’t even know this base had shut !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.
Hi michael bet it looks different there now compared to when i was there in october.
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.
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.
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,
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.
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.
Nothing left of the 1st hangar now, just a few stumps in the ground where the supporting pillars were, and i beleive “the little building” actually extends quite a way underground. nowerdays its busy being demolished and gliders occasionally use the runway, but essentially apart from the hangars the whole place has been levelled.
I was a Cpl Cook from August 1954 till demob on 11/01/1957
The airmans mees is now a carpet store
I was af Watton from May 88 – Nov 89. Us airmen lived in the Watton Lodge. There were only about 30 of us who lived in but we all had a good crack. It was like going back in time on that camp to the days when the RAF was still good fun. Such a shame that it is now all gone and just a fading memory.
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 !
Last two hangers being demolished now.
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.
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.
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
we have completed the demolition of hanger 2 – not supprisingly they are a tough structure and very challenging. we start the demolition of hanger 4 early march – anyone wishing to take a last look please contacy us.
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.
me n mi mates mess on it all da time lol p.s theres only 1 hanger left
i cud get some fotos i live next to it
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
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
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.
Well, the hangers may have gone, and most of the technical site being built upon, but surprise, surprise, some of new inhabitants are now complaining about the noise of the aircraft – so what do they expect, living on the edge of an still operational airfield, with occassional Hercules and helicopters dropping in and collecting troops for exercises at the nearby Stanta battlegrounds?
Would like to see some photos of these aircraft on the ground – I live on the far side of Watton and can’t see them landing or taking off, just flying low over our house with the rear ramp of the Hercules still open.
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.
My father Chris Levy was stationed in Watton 1962 – 64 and for a while we lived in Boscombe Road before moving to a hiring (Bungalow called Belle Vue next to the Shell? Garage) further toward Watton itself. It was during this tour that I went to Thetford Girls Grammar on the train – just one academic year and then posted to Abingdon (then in Berkshire). Watton revisit is due I think! Thank you for your site
I WAS THERE 66/68, 360 SQDN, ONE OF THE HAPPIEST CAMPS DUE PROBABLY TO THE GOOD MIX OF RAF AND FAA(matelots)Met my wife there!. Good detachments gib,malta , cyprus and el adem!!! what memories the flying fish (lunchtimes and the crown,greasy lils plus of course the ace spot nighttime.
Was at Watton 1951 &1952. Lived at Watton Green and was mechanic on Lincolns [116 sqdn] based at Griston. Sad to see present state, was a good posting.
My family arrived at short notice from Cyprus in 63, thank you EOKA, and stayed for 6 lovely years There were 7 kids in our family and my dad was a chef in the Airmens Mess. We lived in Cardington Road, the road seemed full of young failies and it was a safe place to grow up, Barry Flaxman was the local milkman from Hingham. We retuned a few years ago to have a look around and were shocked at the state of the place, progress is not all it seems
Sad to see it being destroyed. I lived at RAF Watton in 1970-1971 when my father was USAF Liason Office there. I went back myself when I visited for some work for the USAF in 1985, but did not have time to see when I went back to the UK to walk the Pennine Way in 2002. Please keep up the photos; I still feel like it is home.
Recognised so much! Stationed here with 51Squ adron Comets from 1960 to 1964. Great days – great photos! Well done. Is the New Inn still in the village I wonder.
Really good site – we used to go the Christmas parties on the RAF camp as a child, have two or three photos of some of them if you need them. No the New Innn is shut and the Bull
My father was stationed at RAF Watton 1965 – 1970, Radar. It’s sad to see what’s happened to the station.
I was on National Service stationed at Watton from 1958-60 as a Ground Wireless Mechanic and lived at HF Transmitters between the airfield and the town.
It has been generally agreed by most ex-Wattonians that it was a happy station, probably due to the lack of bullshit and the super food
Such a shame that this once proud station is now reduced to rubble.
What a sad site – Ilive in the Single men accomodation block at the back of the guard room. I cant remember the name or number of the billet but it had 4 men and single room which was better that the 22 men room- Worked at Eastern Radar up the road towards the village. Looked k=like a cinema from outside. was there from 66 to 70
What is watton like know the Base has gone is it still a good place to live?
So sad to see.Spent 5 years at Eastern Radar which has now been demolished.I remember the flying side closing down,the moving over to Watton Lodge and how close every one was,and how sad it was when the girls got posted out.