Ever since I have started working here in Upper Heyford, I have been meaning to take some photos of the old air base which dominated the area until it closed in 1994. Originally, this was an RAF base until it was passed over the the US Air Force in 1950. Although the military are now long gone and a business park has moved into some of the old buildings, there still plenty of reminders of the bustling base. Behind our office is the runway which B52 bombers took off from and in the underground bunkers lay nuclear weapons at the height of the cold war.
There are still secrecy act signs up all over with old chicken wire and cobwebbed barbed wire, even though in most cases, you can access both sides of the wire!
The water towers dominate the otherwise rural landscape.
The American influence can be seen in small places.
As someone who cannot resist taking photos of signs, this was a paradise for me!
It is so regimented here that even the trees have numbers.
The memorial was looking a little sad since the plants were between flowering periods.
The site is a fascinating mix of old rusty buildings…
… and green avenues.
The baseball parks are still used by the British Baseball academy in November each year.
The bleachers have not been used for a while though!
Not much evidence of the original RAF base remains.
And then just two minutes down Camp Road brings you towards to the original Upper Heyford village.
Although they were hiding on this day, usually sheep are grazing on this underground bunker!
Our dinky office. It’s no Leadenhall Street, that’s for sure.
The rest of my pictures can be found on my flickr site.
I love places like that. I always walk around and wonder who was walking before me, the conversations they had, the things they looked at, and even the food they ate for lunch. Thank you for sharing these great pictures. The bleachers made me laugh.
Glad you like the post! Time travel is definitely one of my three wishes should the genie ever appear to me and I would love to go back to when this base was full of people and activity.
Hey Kate, found these pics quite interesting, might have to take myself over there one day
You really should (I will even show you round if you can make it here during the week!).
Liked your comments an photos. So much has changed since I was there in 52-55. Hope to go back one day.
Thanks for the photos! I was stationed at RAF Upper Heyford 1981-1985 as an American Airman (Weather Observer).
Your photos brought back a lot of very fond memories! You’re lucky to live there! I’ve never left the UK…and now live/work in Scotland! Places like Heyford change lives…and I dont regret a minute of my time there.
Take care,
Steve
Dear Kate
I am headteacher at Tackley primary school where many of the children now living at Heyford Park attend school. In the summer we will be putting together an arts project based on the stories of Heyford Park. I wonder if it might be poosible for you to pass on the emails of people who have responded to your email about their time living on the base. It would be really interesting for us to contact them to find out what it was like living in Oxfordshire, so far away from home.
The pictures are very interesting
Best wishes
Deborah Nind
Hi Deborah. I have emailed Huston and Steve sending them your email address so that they can contact you. Good luck with your project!
Great pics! I was stationed at Heyford from April ’78 to April ’80. Had some truly memorable times, and great commoradare, which has not been matched since. I plan to go back to the UK in a few years and hope there will be something left of the base by then.
Great to hear from you, Bob! There is always talk about pulling the base down but so far, it’s still standing. Hurry over soon, though, just in case.
i lived at the three horseshoe pub when i was little as my aunt silvia and uncle sandy used to own it i also went to the school there would love to vist it again soon and show my children where i grow up
Where was the Three Horseshoe Pub? Was it in the village or on the camp? Would be lovely for you to share you past with your children.
Somerton Road, Upper Heyford OX25 5JU – now private housing – but see photo at http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/Three_Shoes_1969.jpg
Kate,
I’m sorry I’ve not been in touch recently…Im now working with the RAF at Lossiemouth and Kinloss in Scotland and have been busy with snow!!! Please, can you pass on my work email address to Deborah Nind again, so she can ask me anything she’d like to know about being stationed at Upper Heyford in the 80′s?
I hope youre well?
Take care,
Stephen
The three horseshoes
http://www.raf-upper-heyford.org/Three_Shoes_1969.jpg
The Three Horseshoes, Somerton Road, Upper Heyford, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX25 5JU
I’ve been to that Pub too. I went there in the early 80s when I was at RAF Upper Heyford. However, I could more frequently be found at the Chequers Inn at Weston on the Green or at the Duke of Cumberland’s Head in Banbury..
Has the three horseshoes been converted into houses? I think there are two houses on Somerton Road and heard they used to be a pub. Think one was up for sale recently (2011).
Yes the three Horseshoes were converted into two houses.
The trees were only numbered about four ish years ago as part of a survey on site and any that have been are not allowed to be chopped down.
)
It’s water storage not an underground bunker the sheep are usually on.
If you want a tour of some of the buildings or someone to talk about the base when it was active then Don is your man from Dorchester group who works in Heyford House on the right of main gate. There is also a really interesting film you can watch as well about the history of the base.
Was stationed at Upper Heyford in ’86 and ’87. Pictures brought back a lot of memories. Thanks
Good to hear from you, Jim. Glad you enjoyed the photos.
Hi Kate,
My name is Eve, found your post on Upper Heyford very interesting, my husband and myself are on holiday at a local camp site from May 23rd, (Green Hill) we stayed at the same site last year, going back in years to 1969 – 1970 as a 17 year old along with other girls from Kenilworth and Leamington we would be taken by mini bus to the dance nights put on by the American airbase. it brought back memories. we were wondering if it would be possible to have a look around and take some photos before
the developers moved in, hope you can answer my questions many thanks. Eve
Hi the Kate above with the information about tours was a different Kate to me I’m afraid so I can’t help – we don’t even work in the village now so I can’t ask for you.
Oh, sorry about that, thank you for your reply. Eve
No problem – I wish I could help. Might be worth just taking a trip one weekend and having a look around – you can see quite a lot.