| Summary : The former Second World War military airfield, RAF Chipping Norton, which was opened in 1940 and closed in 1945. The airfield was a relief landing ground for Oxford Kidlington and Little Rissington airfields. It was also used by training units such as 23 Group's Advanced Training Unit and Service Flying Training School Squadrons 6 and 15. By December 1944 the airfield had two runways made up of Sommerfeld Track (a type of steel matting), two Bellman hangars and 10 Blister hangars. The airfield closed to flying in 1945 and was disposed of in 1950, thereafter returning to agricultural use. Part of the perimeter track still remains in 2009 as does, the firing range, a transformer station and two airfield buildings. Two air raid shelters may also be extant. |
More information : Chipping Norton airfield: opened in 1940 and closed in 1945. The airfield was a relief landing ground for Oxford Kidlington and Little Rissington airfields. It was also used by training units such as 23 Group's Advanced Training Unit and Service Flying Training School Squadrons 6 and 15. Because of this role many of the aircraft operating from the base were trainers such as AIrspeed Oxfords and Tiger Moths. The airfield was disposed of in 1950, therafter returning to agriculture. The website contains a map of the airfield (users should note the north arrow is wrongly orientated). (1)
Chipping Norton airfield, Oxfordshire, SP 325 253. Opened 1940, closed 1945. By December 1944 the airfield had two runways made up of Sommerfeld Track (a type of steel matting) and had 2 Bellman and 10 Blister Hangars for the aircraft. (2)
Airfield buildings at Chipping Norton airfield. Many of the airfield buildings have been demolished since the war, but a number of domestic buildings and a hospital building were extant in 2003-2004. They are built of "temporary" brick construction with gabled roofs. The website contains images of the buildings, and also of an air raid shelter protected by an earthen mound, as well as a number of useful aerial views. The perimeter track still remains though the runways are no longer visible. (3)
Airfield (disused) SP 325 253 (NAT). (4)
SP3270 2540. Airfield. From list of sites: RLG No. 6 (Pilot) AFU Little Rissington No. 15 SFTS Service Flying Training School, Recorder - S.C. Jenkins. Described as in Fair condition. [note. wrongly states that it's WW1]. (5)
The website mentioned in Source 1 is no longer available (6)
The airfield described above (Sources 1-4) is visible on historical aerial photographs and was mapped as part of the SE Warwickshire and Cotswolds HLS NMP project. The airfield in 1941 & 1942 comprised two grass runways, which were later laid with Sommerfeld Tracking, two Bellman hangars and few airfield buildings centred at SP 32970 25492. Some accommodation was originally in a tented camp located at SP 32945 25602 to the north of the airfield, which is visible as parchmarks made by tents on aerial photographs taken in 1942. The perimeter track was not constructed until after 1942 and then it only went 3/4 of the way round the airfield.
Only eight Blister Hangars (located at SP32499 25694, SP 33304 25306, SP33411 25276, SP 33410 25167, SP 33306 24896, SP 33198 24911, SP33195 24911, SP 32862 24942 and SP32721 24909) were visible on the available aerial photographs, though photographs were not taken on the western part of the airfield in 1944, so the other two Blister Hangars may have been located there. The airfield also comprised seven air raid shelters, two Romney Huts (SP32948 25498), a firing range (SP 32648 25679), an emergency water supply, three blast shelters and associated airfield buildings surrounding the runways.
The technical and instructional site was located to the west of the airfield at SP 32260 25012, and comprised, along with the standard Second World War airfield buildings, nine blast shelters, four air raid shelter, and two emergency water supplies. The watch office was located at SP 32251 25071. The airfield also had nine dispersed sites located to the west and southwest of the airfield; the sewage works (Monument Number 1569032), the domestic communal site (Monument Number 1569034), the sick quarters (Monument Number 1569048), the WAAF accommodation site (Monument Number 1569050) and five airmen accommodation sites (Monument Number 1569019, Monument Number 1569021, Monument Number 1569027, Monument Number 1569023 and Monument Number 1569029).
Part of the perimeter track, part of the firing range, a transformer station and two airfield buildings are all that remain visible, of the main airfield site, on aerial photographs taken in 2009, though Source 3, shows there to be possibly other remains still visible on the ground. (7-12)
More information and ground photographs of remaining airfield features. (13) |