After we got told to leave another raf base close by we ventured on to this site loads of buildings that are covered in asbestos some great long corridors whilst there we where greeted by someone doing a photoshoot with two airsoft pistols which was a bit worrying at first, but soon realised they were harmless. Any way some history of the place, RAF Sculthorpe has been home to many visiting airmen and support crews and was, at one point, the biggest Atomic bomber base in Europe. Situated three miles west of Fakenham, the base was built for the Royal Air Force for use in World War Two. It was built up for US Air Force use and was the biggest operational airfield in the UK by 1957, carrying 10,000 personnel and, for a period, the biggest Atomic bomber base in Europe. The airstrip is said to be one of the longest heated airstrips in the world. To a certain extent the base was quite secret, its position on top of a hill meaning that very little can be seen from outside. The base was active during the Second World War and the Cold War. The US Air Force deployed to Sculthorpe during the Berlin Crisis in 1949 and then, in 1952, it became home for the 47th Bombardment Wing, who were to stay for a decade. In 1963 Project Clearwater halted large scale rotational bomber deployments to Britain, and RAF Fairford, RAF Chelveston, RAF Greenham Common, and RAF Sculthorpe were returned to the Air Ministry. The base became inactive at the end of the Cold War. Much of the associated housing and most other buildings have now been sold off by the military. The US quarters have been extensively refurbished and now form a new village called Wicken Green. The airstrip area remains in military hands, officially as an army helicopter training area from the lads over at raf mildenhall.
