RAF Atherstone

Post-war military drawdown. As a temporary wartime training base, the airfield was deemed surplus to requirements by the Royal Air Force following the end of World War II and the subsequent demobilization.

The site is now a mix of agricultural, industrial, and recreational use. The original three-runway layout is still clearly visible from the air, though the surfaces are degraded. A large portion of the site is occupied by the Loxley Road Industrial Estate. Other areas are used for farming. A significant section of the main runway is actively used for light aviation by the Stratford-on-Avon Gliding Club and microlight flying schools.

The airfield at these coordinates is correctly known as RAF Stratford or RAF Snitterfield, not RAF Atherstone. It was a significant World War II training base opened in June 1941. Built as a standard Class A airfield, its primary role was to host No. 9 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit ((P)AFU) of RAF Flying Training Command. At this base, thousands of pilots were trained, primarily on Airspeed Oxford and Miles Master aircraft, before being posted to operational squadrons across various commands. After the RAF's departure in 1945, it was briefly used by the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm as a Relief Landing Ground under the name HMS Grebe II before its final closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as a full-scale commercial or military airport. The land has been partially redeveloped for industrial and agricultural use, and the remaining infrastructure is not suitable for larger aircraft. Its current function as a base for gliding and microlight flying represents the extent of its ongoing aviation activity.