Frozen in time: Upper Heyford

Upper Heyford near Bicester in Oxfordshire served as an RAF airfield from 1918, mainly for training.

As the Cold War developed, Strategic Air Command took it over in 1951 as one of 4 American bases in southern England (others being RAF Brize Norton, RAF Fairford and RAF Greenham Common) to host bomber aircraft.

In its 'heyday'

Image courtesy http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/Aerial_Views_Maps.html.

Squadrons or 'wings' including bombers and reconnaissance planes flew B35s, 47s, 52s, RB36s, B58 Hustlers, then F111s (Aardvarks, Ravens). It was the UK's only airbase where only the flight-line area required military identification for the public to access (Wikipedia has a detailed history).

In the 1980s a peace camp was set up to protest at nuclear armed and ready aircraft here. Around 2000 people took part and over 700 arrests were made.

By the early 1990s the Cold War was over, and the base wound down.

On the south side of the main road the residential buildings have been let out but the hospital and school were left to deteriorate - buildings are gradually being demolished and new houses are popping up.

Things are a bit better airside, with various outfits making use of the facilities. Police training, secure storage, vehicle logistics, boat building, film recording and such take place.

Incidentally the base featured in Octopussy as the West German USAF base 'Feldstadt'.

In the middle the control tower/weather station gave clearance for take off and checked flying conditions.

The 'smoke house', used by firefighters for practice.

A building near control tower. Every structure is numbered.

299, Avionics (west side of airstrip). According to a worker it had to be kept free of metallic matter.

Rear annex:

Another heavily defended building: 55th squadron's headquarters.

Rear view, although it's hard to know which is the front and back.

Inside:

Further round the airfield was nuclear missiles storage. Now it's used for storing fireworks.

There are 56 hardened hangars like this.

9 are in the Quick Reaction Alert facility in the north east which is where attack planes sat on 24 hour standby.

Back of hangar

The HQ of this bit, where the pilots would retire following their 4 hour stints sitting in the cockpit.

Worthy of further investigation.

Finally 126, the centre of operations - the command centre.

The door above opened to reveal...

Another locked door.

That concludes the tour, thanks for reading!