Below, are a few stories written in 2000 about his time at raf wroughton and afterwards at silloth airfield, where he set to work as a civilian engineer. Buy wroughton through to the 60s first by wroughton history group isbn. Wharf and common farms, parts of the manor, were sold in 1919 to the county council as part of its smallholdings scheme. Wroughton is one of the biggest parishes in the uk and boasts a population of more than 7,000. The national collections centre at wroughton is home to the science museums. The longman companion to the stuart age 16031714 longman. Raf wroughto n was a roya l air force airfie ld n ear wrough ton, in wiltshire, england, about 4 miles 6 km south of swindon. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of wroughton airfield. Wroughton airfield is located in united kingdom, using icao code egdt. Wroughton is far bigger and much more chaotic than its metropolitan sister rather like a largescale lumber room. Buy stories from wroughton by wroughton history group isbn. The effects of the war on the daily lives of civilians, and the constant dangers from raids and. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Life and strife in the little city, 14851603 by john wroughton. Also present on this site was raf hospital wroughton. Many family history books are photocopied or printed on home desktop printers. Wroughton airfields of britain conservation trust uk.
Raf wroughton rnay wroughton science museum at wroughton wroughton aerodrome wroughton airfield solar park. The longman companion to the stuart age 16031714 longman companions to history wroughton, john on. From the swindon road, the raf base at wroughton looks like a relic of wartime britain. In 1972 the airfield transferred to the royal navy as royal naval aircraft yard wroughton and continued to function into the 1990s. Having agreat interest in world war two aircraft and the airfields in the uk recently i have met local people of that period who talk about the lancaster bombers that were scrapped at raf wroughton by no. It features several hangars, two fully maintained runways with the longest being approximately 1 mile long, a collection of old houses nearby and is the home to public power solutions, a commercial arm. Ghost hunter tours head to swindon again this halloween to investigate the very haunted hanger c2 the hanger is very active with people seeing, hearing and sensing events and sightings that they just cant explain. This continued until wroughton closed as a military airfield in 1978. Its not ashamed of its higgledypiggledyness, though, and is even prepared to.
The science museum at wroughton, near swindon, england, is the collections management. Visitors to the science museum library and archive study books from the. I am janet leach now ford and my sister penny was born in the maternity hospital in swindon in 1958. In particular, visitors can see a number of airliners from the air transport collection, plus other large exhibits such as agricultural machinery, cars and lorries. The history of each airfield is described with the squadrons and aircraft based at them and the main operations flown. Science museum, wroughton, hangar d4 the science museums large objects store is held in several hangars around the former airfield at wroughton near swindon, wilts. The museum acquired wroughton airfield near swindon in 1979 to house some of its largest objects, such as airplanes, hovercraft and other vehicles. Shortly after, wroughton was given a new lease on life by becoming a storage annex for part of the science museums aircraft collection, and other exhibits. Swindon history aircraft production at vickers, swindon. The wroughton out station near swindon houses the large object store for the science museum in london, and holds all the large exhibits that are not on display there. Researchers may consult our collection there by prior appointment on fridays only, from 10. Francis frith the uks leading publisher of local photographs since 1860. There are ways to give your family history book professional polish, even with lowtech reproduction methods. Just before his death, my wifes grandfather mentioned that he was a navigator in a lysander that was used to drop leaflets and other items and pick them up at a later date during ww2.
He told us he would fly from a little airfield that we would never have heard of. Betty has lived part of each year with one of her three aunts, rotating among them every few months. Other places near wroughton airfield, swindon sn4 9nx. Airfield publications a specialist publisher in aviation. Wroughton airfield the building of wroughton airfield was planned before the war began and it was to play a major role in keeping the allies flying. The other, cmcr9 renamed north 3 after it was relocated from london to manchester has been restored by retired lighting director and television historian steve harris.
Of the original fleet of nine only two of the type 2 cmcrs survive. Although not named in domesday book, the lands on which the manors of quidhampton. A full account of the part played by wiltshires airfields during the second world war, including boscombe down, hullavington, lyneham, old sarum, thruxton, larkhill and wroughton. Books manston specific history of manston airfield. Raf wroughton was also home to the raf princess alexandra hospital. Halloween 2019 ghost hunt of haunted hanger c2 at raf. I was under the impression that the aim of the science museum at wroughton was to. Jan 01, 1999 airfield, by jeanette ingold takes place in muddy springs, texas during times of the depression. When only a small quantity is needed or when you cant afford other options, this is perfectly acceptable. It is intended to bring together the various sources of information at events, squadrons, aircraft and personnel that have been involved in the site.
It was opened as the raf general hospital on 14 june 1941, and treated both military and civilian patients. Some books and journals are available at the dana research centre and. Raf wroughton is an airfield which sits about 4 miles 6. Eventbrite ghost hunter tours presents ghost hunt of haunted hanger c2 at raf wroughton swindon saturday, 6 july 2019 sunday, 7 july 2019 at hanger c2. Several of the regeneration airfields fall within areas of outstanding natural beauty aonb where there is a presumption against urban development. During the conflict, more than 7,000 aircraft of no less than 62 different types were modified, serviced or repaired at wroughton s maintenance unit or mu no. Raf wroughton was a royal air force airfield near wroughton, in wiltshire, england, about 4mi south. The science museum at wroughton is the large object store for the science museum, london. A line of memories of the people we met and the friends we made.
Control of raf wroughton was handed over to the royal navy and it became the royal naval aircraft yard wroughton in 1972. Book airport parking near wroughton airfield for your car easily from the booking agency. Both young men were posted to silloth 22mu in july 1942 from raf wroughton. Longman companion to the stuart age, 16031714 longman companions to history wroughton, john on. It is part of the borough of swindon and is southeast of swindon. History of wroughton, in swindon and wiltshire map and. Books for sale about wroughton history wroughton history group. The national collections centre is located on the former raf wroughton airfield.
It features several hangars, two fully maintained runways with the longest being approximately 1 mile long, a collection of old houses nearby and is the home to public power solutions, a commercial arm of swindon borough council. For statistics about wroughton itself, go to units and statistics. Longman companion to the stuart age, 16031714 longman. Parts of the main airfield continued to be used by the military in the postwar period, however in the 1960s the outlying dispersals were sold back to farmers. Photos, maps, personal memories and local books of wroughton.
Wroughton airfield, on the a4361 south of swindon, wiltshire. Media in category collections of science museum at wroughton the following 63 files are in this category, out of 63 total. Ghost hunt of haunted hanger c2 at raf wroughton swindon. Wroughton airfield, swindon area information, map, walks. The building of wroughton airfield was planned before the war began and it was to play a major role in keeping the allies flying. The national collections centre reading room will be closed on friday 30 august. The first part of the book covers the raf aerodrome and hospital, from the compulsory purchase of the land to their closures. This site is dedicated to the history of manston airfield, in kent from its first official usage back in 1916. The longman companion to the stuart age 16031714 longman companions to history. The village of wroughton lies 3 miles south of swindon.
Report raf wroughton, wiltshire june 2015 military. If you were at wroughton relive those old memories and join our reunion. The civil war in bath and north somerset, 16421650. It was used for the assembly and storage of aircraft during the second world war. Geoenvironmental factors in the regeneration of military. Media in category raf wroughton the following 24 files are in this category, out of 24 total. The science museums large objects store is held in several hangars around the former airfield at wroughton near swindon, wilts. Manners, who sold it in 1937 as part of the site for wroughton airfield. My parents moved from east london to swindon and then to wroughton in 1954.
We are closed on bank holidays and between 25 december 2019 and 1 january 2020. Information and guide for wroughton airfield,swindon including location and map with contact details. As far as im aware it is no longer available anywhere, but i used it as the basis for a history of wroughton which i wrote for our local military and aviation history group. The science museums worldclass library and archive collections chart the worldwide development and history of science, engineering and medicine from the fifteenth to the twentyfirst century. It first arrived in april 1964 and according to jarrod cotter in his excellent book the battle of britain memorial flight, before moving to raf henlow bedfordshire, it appeared in the films. One is held by the science museum and resides in the museums stores at wroughton airfield in wiltshire. Wroughton is a large village in wiltshire in the south west england region of the uk. Wroughton is a large village and civil parish in northeast wiltshire, england. Airfield publications publish books on uk airfields, recent publications include raf kirton in lindsey, burtonwood, woodvale and 611 west lancashire squadron, royal auxiliary air force, raf brampton and raf waterbeach.
Science museum at wroughton, wroughton, united kingdom. There we were at raf hospitalwroughton in the swinging sixties. The air field now belongs to the science museum group and is home to the science mu seum at wr oughton, which houses the largeobject storage and library of the science museum. Photos of the science museum, wroughton, collection. Alongside museum storage facilities, this 545acre multipurpose site is made up of large open areas, native woodlands, runways and one of the uks largest solar farms. Evidence of a settlement at wroughton can be traced back to the mesolithic, though archaeology for this period is a little thin on the ground, if you pardon the pun. The science museum originally took ownership of the 545acre former raf wroughton airfield in 1979. The following organisations are either based at, use andor have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield as at 010720. Since passing his gft for a private pilots license on the 30th june 1989 in the cessna 152 gwacb at wycombe air park the gates of opportunity opened and he has, for example, flown an aircraft in every country in western europe registered in each country. I was under the impression that the aim of the science museum at wroughton was to house and preserve large objects of historic interest. Original printed works include books, journals, patents, trade literature, directories and maps in english and other european languages.
Ministry of defence aviation activity ceased in 1972. Raf wroughton was a royal air force airfield near wroughton, in wiltshire, england, about 4 miles 6 km south of swindon. At the time, a history of the hospital was prepared by flt lt darren whiting and fg off jim covill. My wroughton memories are living in snapps close just off priors hill and of walking to school and. Gb historical gis university of portsmouth, history of wroughton, in swindon and wiltshire map and description, a vision of britain through time.
The national collections centre is currently home to 35,000 objects from the science museum group collection and the science museums worldclass library and archive in 2018, we embarked on an ambitious project to create a new, publicly accessible home for over 300,000 items from the collection at the national collections centre. Similar to george, rex has many a tale to tell about his experiences in silloth during the war years. It was never planned to be an operational airfield flying squadrons of bombers or fighters on missions against the luftwaffe. Follow the signs for wroughton from the a4365 m4 junction 16 or the a345 m4 junction 15 and then the brown science museum signs. The civil war in bath and north somerset, 16421650 wroughton, john on. Follow the signs for wroughton from the a4365 m4 junction 16 or the a345 m4. Wroughton was the site of the 1991, 1992 and 1993 pfa rallys. In 1919 codrington sold wroughton house with some land to his cousin claude alexander codrington d. Interesting history read on wikipedia for this unload this morning. Two gargantuan hangars, with paint peeling from their elegant curved roofs, stand close to its entrance. The airfield now belongs to the science museum group and is home to the science museum at wroughton, which houses the large. Much of englands rolling chalkland is so designated, including binbrook airfield in lincolnshire and wroughton airfield in wiltshire.
Exairstrip in wroughton used as the grand tour test track. Apr 09, 2017 wroughton airfield, on the a4361 south of swindon, wiltshire. Wroughton is a large village in the county of wiltshire. It is part of the borough of swindon and lies along the a4361 road between swindon and avebury. A collection of approximately 35,000 objects is currently stored in six of the hangars and a purposebuilt store. Library and archives at the national collections centre science. Wiltshire airfields in the second world war airfields series. The science museum originally took ownership of the 545acre former raf wroughton airfield in 1979, to be used as a storage facility for the largest objects of the science museum.