Report - RAF Sculthorpe, Norfolk, August 2015

[Tawny Fawn]

History:
RAF Sculthorpe was built as the second satellite airfield of RAF West Raynham a few miles to the south (haven't been there for a while but it was an excellent explore a few years back!). Work begun in the spring of 1942. Much of the construction work was completed by Irish labour working for the construction company Bovis.


Work finished in 1943 and the first squadrons started to arrive from RAF West Raynham. Sculthorpe was refurbished for USAF use during the Berlin Crisis in 1949.


The airfield became inactive at the end of the Cold War. During the mid 1990s the entire technical and domestic site was sold to The Welbeck Estate Group by Defence Estates.


The airstrip area remains in military hands, officially as an army helicopter training area, and there are exercises about twice a year. Demolition work on the hangars began in March 2009.



I visited here with a keen photographer, as a way of introducing him to Urbexing, I think it worked pretty nicely too! We snuck around and dived behind hedges for a while (as per usual when I explore) until we noticed two people walking their dog on the site and chatting loudly, followed by three little girls on their pink bikes. Well that made us feel pretty daft didn't it! Clearly as Norfolk Explorer put it 'you're more likely to run into dog shit than you are security!"

Outside

Inside

I have a bit of an obsession with buttons and switches, so here's the first...

The rooms in all the buildings were pretty trashed, but I liked the walls in the 3 storey one!

I did warn you...

More of the artistic 3 storey...

The urinals in the little boys room at the school / nursery

The 3 storey top floor corridoor

Scary scary bunnies!

Followed by awesome graffiti (although from outside it looked like someone standing there motionless eep!)

And some beautiful painting to inspire happy kiddies dreams...

Well that's all folks!

 

[Kieron Exley]

Great report, thinking of visiting this weekend to update my photography blog. Thanks a lot!

Stay safe.

 

[Tawny Fawn]

There were quite a few buildings we never made it too as well, so still definitely worth a visit. Have a peek over at RAF West Raynham while you're there, if there's anything left!

 

[Stanchion5]

I have friends who live in the houses that used to form part of the base. They were telling me about the hangers that used to be on the airfield. One not too far from the tower. He said that planes would be taken to the hanger, the doors closed, then 10 minutes later the doors would open again and the plane would have disappeared. Obviously moved to underground storage.
They also told me that you can still, occasionally hear noises from the underground tunnels when laid in bed at night and your head is resting on the pillow. If you sit up you no longer hear them.
Then there are the stories of the nukes..

 

[Oxygen Thief]

Sorry, none of that ever happened, ever, anywhere (unless you're on an aircraft carrier)

 

[Ordnance]

Load of Tosh, Like a lot of similar 'underground' story's. I live near to RAF Leeming which has some of the latest hardened aircraft shelters in the country, and you know what, they are EMPTY! Why? because there are no fighter aircraft on the base only Hawk T1 trainer aircraft (No 100 Sqn) and Tutor aircraft (Northumbrian University Air Squadron) operate from Leeming now. But local rumors have Fully Armed Combat Aircraft [Tornado's but some say Typhoon's] despite no aircraft being 'missing' same as Sculthorpe I suspect. Aircraft buffs know how many aircraft were built, and there are even books listing their locations & fates.

 

[Stanchion5]

Load of Tosh, Like a lot of similar 'underground' story's. I live near to RAF Leeming which has some of the latest hardened aircraft shelters in the country, and you know what, they are EMPTY! Why? because there are no fighter aircraft on the base only Hawk T1 trainer aircraft (No 100 Sqn) and Tutor aircraft (Northumbrian University Air Squadron) operate from Leeming now. But local rumors have Fully Armed Combat Aircraft [Tornado's but some say Typhoon's] despite no aircraft being 'missing' same as Sculthorpe I suspect. Aircraft buffs know how many aircraft were built, and there are even books listing their locations & fates.

Absolutely not disagreeing with you. I can only recount what the locals have told me. Personally i took it with a pinch of salt but they seemed adamant (not the 80's singer

 

[Tawny Fawn]

It would be great if they were right! Especially the bit about the tunnels, but sadly there's no evidence of any of this on the site. Although it you've got mates nearby you ought to check it out Stanchion5! Maybe you'll find something the rest of us have missed

 

[A man called Martyn]

I have friends who live in the houses that used to form part of the base. They were telling me about the hangers that used to be on the airfield. One not too far from the tower. He said that planes would be taken to the hanger, the doors closed, then 10 minutes later the doors would open again and the plane would have disappeared. Obviously moved to underground storage.
They also told me that you can still, occasionally hear noises from the underground tunnels when laid in bed at night and your head is resting on the pillow. If you sit up you no longer hear them.
Then there are the stories of the nukes..

Seems legit, i had one of the natives at ROF Featherstone treat me to a story about an underground factory at that site. This was just an urban myth among the natives. In wolverhampton there is another fictitious tunnel linking New Cross hospital and the former Royal hospital underground, again complete bullshit. I have only ever being to one site were rumours of something underground actually turned out to be true. That was an old Victorian Vinegar factory in Worcester.

 

[Bolts]

Looks like a nice little mooch, some good shots too