Somerset's Second World War RAF bases transformed after military use ends

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 10 Oct, 16:48 · Archive

Somerset's wartime RAF airfields have been repurposed, with some becoming housing developments and others remaining in military use.

At the height of the Second World War, Somerset had eight known RAF stations, airfields and satellite landing grounds supporting fighter, bomber and training operations. After the military moved on, thousands of Somerset residents came to live, work or shop on land that was once used by the Royal Air Force.

The former RAF Locking site near Weston-super-Mare has undergone a major transformation into a housing development. Contractors are clearing some of the last remaining military infrastructure as part of the Locking Parklands project, which will deliver 229 new homes in its next phase, with around half designated as affordable or shared ownership properties.

Other former bases across Somerset have followed different paths. Some sites, including RAF Merryfield and RNAS Yeovilton, remain in military use, while others such as RAF Culmhead and RAF Charlton Horethorne have fallen into disuse, their control towers and defence bunkers now standing as relics of the county's wartime past.

Somerset's Second World War RAF bases transformed after military use ends — Image: Bridgwater Mercury

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How it is being reported

What happened to Somerset's lost and forgotten RAF basesSomerset's history runs deep, with RAF airfields playing a crucial role during the Second World War and beyond. But where are they now?Bridgwater Mercury · 10 Oct, 16:00
What happened to Somerset's lost and forgotten RAF basesSomerset's history runs deep, with RAF airfields playing a crucial role during the Second World War and beyond. But where are they now?Somerset County Gazette · 10 Oct, 16:00

In this story: Somerset · RAF · RAF Locking · Weston-super-Mare · RAF Merryfield · RNAS Yeovilton · RAF Culmhead · RAF Charlton Horethorne

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