RAF West Raynham is in Norfolk, near a town called Swaffham. It is seriously in the middle of nowhere, and was quite hard to find. It closed in 1994, and at the end of 2005 was put up for auction. There are loads of houses there and the local MP wants them to be used as residential housing again. This will be quite a task – 11 years of non-use have taken their toll.
I didn’t really look round the housing areas, instead concentrating my trip on the cool military stuff. That said, I didn’t manage to explore everything in the time I was there. There is a Bloodhound Missile launch site here (it was over the other side of the airfield) but I decided to leave when a scary dog started following me…
Control Towers
Two control towers are at RAF West Raynham. One is small…
The other one is a “Very Heavy Bomber Station Control Tower” (that means it’s quite big). It was one of only four built in the UK. One has been demolished, and the other two are at active RAF bases.
The windows in the observation area all had (place) names printed on them – presumably to identify directions. Or maybe the glazier was bored.
This control tower also has a fire station.
And some other bits in the building..
Hangars
There were four huge C-type hangars here. I didn’t go into any of them..
… but I did climb onto one though 
I must admit that it wasn’t the brightest thing I’ve ever done. Heights I can tolerate, but it’s the getting to the heights which is the problem – I’m not particularly good with ladders. Also, the walkways on the roof were stupidly rotten. Oh well, I’ve now been on the roof of a hanger. And the views were fantastic…
Missile Training Simulator
This a Rapier Missile Training Simulator. Thanks everyone who has told me this
This was a treat. I’ve never really seen one of these before, let alone been inside one. I thought it would just be a big round room inside. It was. But the thing that struck me was how echo-ey it was – a tiny crack of my knee joint reverberated around the room many times. Turn on my camera – click click click click click….. Awesome.
Water Towers
There are three water towers here, along with boiler rooms and stuff. It would’ve been possible to climb at least one, but I didn’t fancy it as the ladder was covered in pigeon crap.
Accomodation
I mentioned that I didn’t look at the housing areas – that is true. But there were a few accomodation/mess blocks – I had a quick look at these (not in them though).
Other buildings & bits
I had a look at a few other buildings, but couldn’t really get into many.
Twitter
RSS feed
being only 16, i only remember tiney parts of living their like the park with that tyre swing thing and when some one fell of a horse and the ambulance had to come. and the fate thing on the field. has the park been taken down because looking on google i carnt seem to find it anywhere.
Does anybody know what access to this place is like? is it easy to get into? guarded? much traffic going past it? or is it even still in this same state?
No, they moved it five miles down the road.
I was in the RAF Regt at W/R 66 Squadron 84 to 86 then back to the Rapier Training Unit 91 to demob in 92. On a recent trip to Norfolk i found the station but couldn’t get a look round. Thanks Mr (Security) Miserable Twat. Ours was the hanger furthest from the camp gate beside the Rapier Simulator, love a pound for every Missile I “Fired” in there. Many a time I staggered home from the Sports and Social club. Great little Station many great memories.
Hello spike me old mate
its been along time since the sports & social at W/R and even longer since Uxbridge but i hope you are
ok and keeping well. When i got out in 92 i never went home to south London i moved to a village in
Lincolnshire called maltby le marsh near alford coz the mrs was from the near there and she was also
posted to Conningsby air traffic and we stayed together until 96 sept time and got devorced but we stayed friends and she left the Raf about 3yrs ago after 30years and now she lives not far from W/R
and is the county field officer for Norfolk RBL welfare and is living with mick scarrot and i am now
living in Grimsby north east lincs. Once a month we have a rocks get together in the rafa at cleethorpes we about 20ex rocks living in the arear so it varies who turns up each month, do you remember Gary roberts at QCS ? he is here as well & runs his own auto repair & MOT garage .
I found your message on the W/R site today 29/11/11 and your message was put on in june so i hope
you get this message at some point and it would be great to get back in contact. p111swm@live.co.uk
regards Steve m
was at wr 1953-56 lived in last house facing runway. witnessed great crash on runway 55. went to school from there in Fakenham.
Also nice to see x Gan people on site, i was on the first BP Tanker ever to bring av-gas to u guys. went ashore with ten shillings and came back totally p…….ed and still had seven and six pence. Those were the days. All the very best to one and all = Peter
Hi, i would like to make contact with anyone serving at West Raynham during 1954 – 55 when the Naval Air Fighting Development Unit were using four Westland Wyvern aircraft for trials. I have had an interest in the Wyvern for over twenty years and any memories or loan of photos would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
I was at W.R. 53to 55 the best times of my life,well until i got married that is, of all the reports i have seen no one has mentioned the sally ann how long did it last and what happend to the mark 22 Spitfire on the main gate, i got posted to Middle Wallop from W.R. what a sham.
The last I heard, the former gate guard, Supermarine Spitfire PR XIX (PS853), is airworthy and owned by Rolls Royce.
Thanks, Paul. Nice to hear something was saved,
My cousin, Pilot Sergeant Pat McKenny, and his Blenheim crew were lost on a night raid on a German airfield at Leeuwarden, Holland, after taking off from West Raynham on 24th April, 1942. No trace of the aircraft, No V5458, or the crew, Sgt James McIntyre and Sgt Joseph Lewis, was ever found. It is thought they were shot down by German night fighters or anti-aircraft fire over the Dutch coast.
The Mission you mentioned, from the WR War Diary
“24-04-42
25-04-42
01.15 to 04.51 hours. Four Blenheim IVs, (V6265 ‘G’, V6264 ‘X’, V5458 ‘O’ & Z6161 ‘T’)
of 114 Squadron, were detailed to attack Leeuwarden aerodrome. Two aircraft dropped
two 250lb GP, and sixteen 40lb bombs on the NE and NW corners of the target, which
was unlit at the time of the attack at 00.21 and 03.00 hours from 6,000 and 4,000ft
respectively. One aircraft bombed on the illuminated lighting system with two 250lb GP
(one fused at half an hour delay), and sixteen 40lb bombs at 03.24 hours from 4,000ft.,
One aircraft is missing: V5458 ‘O’ – Sgt McKenny, Sgt McIntyre and Sgt Lewis.”
How nice to see all the pictures. My Dad was stationed at RAF West Raynham until we were posted to Cyprus in 1960. I have many happy memories of living there. Went a few years ago with a friend but security would not let us in because of the unsafe state of the buildings. Was very disappointed as I was not asking to go in the buildings, just have a walk around the camp to see how much I could remember. Does anyone remember the old Airfield School that all us kids went to? You walked through the camp to the guardroom and barrier pole, then crossed the road walking down to the bottom and the school was over on the right. The RAF servicemen used to do duty there to get the kids safely across the road. Happy memories also of RAF Bircham Newton which is where we were stationed prior to West Raynham.
i was at west raynham,,rtu then 66,,,,cant belive the sports bar looks like that
A few years ago we mentioned about a Javelin Mk 5 XA 648 which crashed near to East Rudham railway station. Recently, whilst reading the history of RAF Coltishall I noted that on the 4th March 1944 at 0118 hours that a lancaster NG325/CA-H of 189 squadron dived into the ground near to East Rudham railway station, all the crew were killed.
Hi everyone. Can I just say how inspirational and amazing it is looking at these pictures and reading all of your stories. My family for as far as I can remember have been in the army and my father has been caretaker at many different sites. I am really fascinated with stuff like this, so was just wondering if it is possible to have a look round? I am presuming it must be possible as people have pics? Any info would be greatly appreciated.