History - RAF Calveley was planned as a night fighter base for the defence of the cities of the industrial North West, such as Manchester and Liverpool. It was to perform as a satellite to the day fighter base at Atcham (Shrewsbury) in the Ternhill Sector, but by the time the Airfield was complete there had been a change of plan and Calveley was relegated to serve only as a flying training station.
Airfield construction commenced in 1941 and because it was to be used by twin-engine fighter aircraft types, it was furnished with three concrete runways and a perimeter track, but only a few aircraft dispersal points. However, three T2 type of steel hangars were erected, together with four Blister types, dispersed around the airfield perimeter. Aircraft firing butts were also provided and several dispersed living areas were sited towards the village of Wardle, which could accommodate over 1400 personnel.
The station was involved in providing advanced flying instruction to recently qualified pilots, who were destined much later in their careers for fighter squadrons. The main activity was circuit and landing practice, and these were performed both by day and night.
Towards the end of the war, activity started to decline and on 31st May 1945 all flying ceased. Like so many empty stations, Calveley Airfield was used for housing a surplus aircrew for the next few months until at the end of 1945 a post-war flying school was formed and it was issued with thirty Harvards. In 1946, The RAF were not keen on keeping any of the wartime airfields similar to Calveley, so as soon as permanent stations became available they were quick to move the flying units into them including those from Calveley.
Calveley was subsequently taken over by Maintenance Command, and for the next ten years it served as a sub-site to the aircraft maintenance unit at Hawarden, who used it for storage purposes and not for any form of flying. In 1959, the Air Ministry finally sold off the site.
Explore - The main reason we wanted to visit this place was due to it appearing to have a surviving control tower. Sadly it seems they are now in the process of demolishing the remaining buildings to build a new business park and the control tower along with many other buildings have now gone, the building work was going on around while we explored it and we were watching them destroying the taxiway's. There are still quite a few buildings remaining though and it turned out to be an interesting visit regardless. Some of the buildings have been re-used as businesses and they are full of all sorts of random odd junk, in one building you have to climb over a literal mountain of carpets to get inside. There are quite a few remaining buildings incorporated into the nearby industrial estate and occupied by active businesses but we haven't included these in the report.
Pilots outside the control tower.
Miles Master training plane taking off from the airfield.
Guard and fire party house.
Didn't expect to find a creepy doll on an old RAF base tbh.
View attachment
Air Raid shelters.
View attachment
Battery charging hut.
Private branch exchange.
Thanks for looking.
Airfield construction commenced in 1941 and because it was to be used by twin-engine fighter aircraft types, it was furnished with three concrete runways and a perimeter track, but only a few aircraft dispersal points. However, three T2 type of steel hangars were erected, together with four Blister types, dispersed around the airfield perimeter. Aircraft firing butts were also provided and several dispersed living areas were sited towards the village of Wardle, which could accommodate over 1400 personnel.
The station was involved in providing advanced flying instruction to recently qualified pilots, who were destined much later in their careers for fighter squadrons. The main activity was circuit and landing practice, and these were performed both by day and night.
Towards the end of the war, activity started to decline and on 31st May 1945 all flying ceased. Like so many empty stations, Calveley Airfield was used for housing a surplus aircrew for the next few months until at the end of 1945 a post-war flying school was formed and it was issued with thirty Harvards. In 1946, The RAF were not keen on keeping any of the wartime airfields similar to Calveley, so as soon as permanent stations became available they were quick to move the flying units into them including those from Calveley.
Calveley was subsequently taken over by Maintenance Command, and for the next ten years it served as a sub-site to the aircraft maintenance unit at Hawarden, who used it for storage purposes and not for any form of flying. In 1959, the Air Ministry finally sold off the site.
Explore - The main reason we wanted to visit this place was due to it appearing to have a surviving control tower. Sadly it seems they are now in the process of demolishing the remaining buildings to build a new business park and the control tower along with many other buildings have now gone, the building work was going on around while we explored it and we were watching them destroying the taxiway's. There are still quite a few buildings remaining though and it turned out to be an interesting visit regardless. Some of the buildings have been re-used as businesses and they are full of all sorts of random odd junk, in one building you have to climb over a literal mountain of carpets to get inside. There are quite a few remaining buildings incorporated into the nearby industrial estate and occupied by active businesses but we haven't included these in the report.
Pilots outside the control tower.
Miles Master training plane taking off from the airfield.
Guard and fire party house.
Didn't expect to find a creepy doll on an old RAF base tbh.
View attachment
Air Raid shelters.
View attachment
Battery charging hut.
Private branch exchange.
Thanks for looking.
