RAF Castle Camps

The airfield was closed as part of the widespread military drawdown following the end of World War II. As a station built primarily for wartime needs, it was deemed surplus to the peacetime requirements of the Royal Air Force.

The former airfield has largely been returned to agricultural use, with crops grown on the land where runways once lay. However, significant remnants of its past are still visible, including sections of the concrete runways, perimeter track, and aircraft hardstands, though they are in a state of decay. Some of the original wartime buildings on the former technical site have been repurposed for light industrial and agricultural storage and now form the Castle Camps Business Park. The control tower was demolished in the 1970s. A memorial dedicated to the squadrons and personnel who served at RAF Castle Camps is located in the nearby village.

RAF Castle Camps was a significant World War II night fighter station, opened in June 1940 as a satellite airfield for RAF Debden. It played a crucial role in the United Kingdom's air defence network, particularly during the Blitz. The station was home to several notable squadrons, including No. 85 Squadron and No. 456 Squadron (Royal Australian Air Force), which operated aircraft such as the Hawker Hurricane, Douglas A-20 Havoc, and the advanced de Havilland Mosquito night fighter. Castle Camps was an important base for aircraft equipped with early Airborne Interception (AI) radar, which was critical for locating and engaging enemy bombers at night. The airfield was also designated as USAAF Station 162, used by the United States Army Air Forces for support and communications.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Castle Camps as an airport. The site is privately owned, fragmented into different parcels, and the remaining aviation infrastructure is derelict and unsuitable for modern use without complete reconstruction. Its current use for agriculture and light industry makes any future reactivation as an aviation facility highly improbable.