1. The History
RAF Folkingham is a former Royal Air Force station located to the south-west of Folkingham Lincolnshire. It opened in 1940 and was used by both the RAF and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used mainly as a troop carrier airfield for airborne units. Post- war it was placed on “care and maintenance” in 1947. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the RAF Bomber Command used Folkingham as a Thor Ballistic Missile base. On the closure of the Thor site, British Racing Motors (BRM) used the site to tested it cars there, but only remained for a few years. In the late 1960s the runways and some nissen huts were used by Lincolnshire Police as a driver training and skid pan area. In the mid-1960s the testing track closed and the airfield was sold off to local farmers.
Most of the runways and the peri-track were broken up for hardcore aggregate after the sale of the airfield by BRM. Today nothing remains of the technical site located to the north-east of the airfield. Part of the southern-half of the airfield remains including the full length (and width) of north-south main runway. This is now used as a vehicle compound for Nelson M Green & Sons Ltd. The company specialises in the storage of decommissioned and scrapped agricultural vehicles, lorries and other heavy plant. The vehicles, many often rare and long out of production, are stored for the resale of their spare parts. The majority are stored down either side of the main runway but abandoned plant also lines the sides of the remaining perimeter track and several of the old dispersal loops.
2. The Explore
Been on my list to do for a while. So eventually one sunny morning I headed off, parked up and made the short walk through the woods to the site. It’s a really weird place. You can smell the diesel that has leaked from all these old machines as you walk the former runway. They are lined-up down both sides and go on for hundred of metres. However, the older more interesting wrecks (including the DUKW) can be found around the old dispersal loops closer by to the wood. At first the place is a bit overwhelming but after a while you start to pick out the small and interesting features on the vehicles.
3. The Pictures
It’s a snake..nooo, it’s a caterpillar!
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Dozer:
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Serious crane action:
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This heavy-duty crane looks pretty serviceable still:
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An old speedo:
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On to the older stuff on the dispersal loops:
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And finally, on to the DUKW Amphibious vehicle, used during the D-Day landings, produced between 1942 and 1945, and used by the British Army up into the 1970s.
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RAF Folkingham is a former Royal Air Force station located to the south-west of Folkingham Lincolnshire. It opened in 1940 and was used by both the RAF and United States Army Air Forces. During the war it was used mainly as a troop carrier airfield for airborne units. Post- war it was placed on “care and maintenance” in 1947. During the late 1950s and early 1960s, the RAF Bomber Command used Folkingham as a Thor Ballistic Missile base. On the closure of the Thor site, British Racing Motors (BRM) used the site to tested it cars there, but only remained for a few years. In the late 1960s the runways and some nissen huts were used by Lincolnshire Police as a driver training and skid pan area. In the mid-1960s the testing track closed and the airfield was sold off to local farmers.
Most of the runways and the peri-track were broken up for hardcore aggregate after the sale of the airfield by BRM. Today nothing remains of the technical site located to the north-east of the airfield. Part of the southern-half of the airfield remains including the full length (and width) of north-south main runway. This is now used as a vehicle compound for Nelson M Green & Sons Ltd. The company specialises in the storage of decommissioned and scrapped agricultural vehicles, lorries and other heavy plant. The vehicles, many often rare and long out of production, are stored for the resale of their spare parts. The majority are stored down either side of the main runway but abandoned plant also lines the sides of the remaining perimeter track and several of the old dispersal loops.
2. The Explore
Been on my list to do for a while. So eventually one sunny morning I headed off, parked up and made the short walk through the woods to the site. It’s a really weird place. You can smell the diesel that has leaked from all these old machines as you walk the former runway. They are lined-up down both sides and go on for hundred of metres. However, the older more interesting wrecks (including the DUKW) can be found around the old dispersal loops closer by to the wood. At first the place is a bit overwhelming but after a while you start to pick out the small and interesting features on the vehicles.
3. The Pictures
It’s a snake..nooo, it’s a caterpillar!
Dozer:
Serious crane action:
This heavy-duty crane looks pretty serviceable still:
An old speedo:
On to the older stuff on the dispersal loops:
And finally, on to the DUKW Amphibious vehicle, used during the D-Day landings, produced between 1942 and 1945, and used by the British Army up into the 1970s.