Syerston

[Hawkeye001]

These are the officers mess at Raf Syerston and to say the least what a poor state it is in.

[Ossington_2008]

Google Earths coverage of Nottinghamshire has been updated recently, so naturally I took a look at one of my favourite places. I am intrigued to find some new buildings and earthwork in the bomb dump area, to the north & by the Trent. I can't do that linky thing, but If you look, you can see some low buildings with blast-wall entrances and what look like open hard standings surrounded by a low earth berm. Why would the MOD spend money this far back from the sharp end? And on an airfield that has had buildings demolished in the past decade? I know that Initial Officer Training is/was taking place here (why leave Barkston Heath?) hence the two Jaguars parked either side of the windsock, and why the barbed wire? I would suspect explosive disposal but I can't see any craters. I'm in suspenders here! Can anyone help?

Here are two snaps from about 1988, but taken from the opposite side to the BD.


Those T2's in the foreground were still there then...

[PETERTHEEATER]

Hello Ossie,

just for the record; Syerston had two bomb stores. The later store to AM drawing 3164/42 is the area in which the four buildings you refer can be seen.

The original bomb store (only the road structure remains), a Type C to AM drawing 5416/40 is in the west between Rwy heads 12 and 16.

I see a control gate and guard post half way up the taxiway leading to the WW2 dispersals.

They look like munitions stores but they are relatively recent so I can't confirm what for.

[Ossington_2008]

This is what I mean:


BTW, see that runway end in the background? The Vulcan crashed onto the far edge of that

[WJT]

Interesting post on proone - seems the VG Schools have been renamed VG Squadrons. See here:

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history- ... story.html

[TommyUSA]

Seems like someone would've already posted this (I searched and didn't find it). Here's a link to a YouTube video of the Vulcan crashing at Syerston.



Tom

[TOB]

POSSIBLE DEMOLITION ALERT!

If anyone wants to photograph the Officer's Mess and Squash Courts, I suggest you go sooner rather than later as preliminary work has already started on the A46 dualling scheme between Widmerpool and Farndon. According to the local press the construction phase will start in April 2009 if they want to complete it by 2012.

This afternoon while taking some photographs of the Mess, gliding activity etc for my forthcoming book about RAF Syerston (see www.timobrienart.co.uk for details) there were dozens of Government planning notices at the side of the road. Along the edge of the airfield from the main entrance driveway to Longhedge Lane a JCB was starting to rip up the hedgerow (according to the Newark Advertiser they are doing this before the birds start nesting and potentially halt work!) and I could see lots of marker posts approx 100yds inside the airfield boundary which presumably will be the edge of the new road. This appears to take out part of the peri-track by the edge of the runway threshold.

Looking at some plans published in 2007, the main driveway entrance will totally change with a mini-junction/slip road being constructed to allow access to/from Inholms Lane (former OMQs) and RAF Syerston's main gate. Also access to Longhedge Lane appears to be more difficult. The entrance to Coney Grey Spinney (former AMQs) will also change. Apart from that, the airfield will remain un-affected as far as I am aware.

The private dwelling (Glebe Cottages) on the airfield side that is rented from the Crown is definitely being demolished as this falls within these marker posts, but according to the plans, it isn't clear if the Officer's Mess which is directly opposite this house will be demolished or not, but as it is literally a few feet from the construction area I wouldn't be surprised, hence the alert! As for the wartime standby house I would have thought it would have been safe as it sits well back from the road on its own.

Back to my Syerston book project; if anyone out there has any archive photographs, plans, or any stories, I would be pleased to hear from you.

[TOB]

Yes, the Officers Mess is accessible by anyone parking by the former Junior OMQs (now private housing) on Inholms Gardens and walking straight in. Apart from the uncovered drains, watch out for lots of broken glass and dog poo!

Drove down the A46 today towards Leicester and "Wow" have they got a move on. Loads of hedgerows, woods etc have been cleared already, so all I can say is get to Syerston with your cameras ASAP!

[stevie]

Had a look around the Officers mess area today with Hawkeye. To say the place is trashed is an understatement!
Heres a selection of my pictures that i took -


A couple of shots i took a while ago looking across the airfield towards the tower and remaining hangars.

..and over the road at the officers mess site yesturday -
Main enterance gate -

Looking towards the old squash court -

Good example of how rundown the place is becoming -

We found what looks very much like a toilet block amongst the undergrowth -


..and on to the main mess building -











TOB was quite right when he said about how quickly the diggers were eating away at both the airfield area and also miles down the A46 as well. It was quite a shock to be honest to see so many hedgerows and bits of surrounding countryside ripped up so quickly.
Saying this, we did speak to a local guy who told us that the mess area wouldn't actually be demolished during all this so heres hoping he's right!!
Cheers for the company today by the way Hawk. Another great explore mate
Steve

[TOB]

Stevie

P.S. Understand that the two Jaguars are used as part of a training role within the Initial Officer Training Courses from Cranwell. The Jaguars are used along with the 'new' pillboxes, sandbag fortifications etc littered around the airfield!