Windrush Airstrip

The primary closure was a direct result of the end of World War II. As with many other airfields built during the war, RAF Windrush became surplus to the peacetime requirements of the Royal Air Force and was decommissioned. The subsequent cessation of private flying was likely due to economic factors, the cost of maintaining the runways, and the sale of the land for other uses.

The site is no longer an airfield. The classic triangular runway layout from the WWII era is still clearly visible from the air, but the surfaces are degraded and unusable for aircraft. The land is now primarily used for agriculture (farming and livestock grazing). Part of the former airfield has been redeveloped into the Windrush Industrial Park. Several original wartime structures, including T2 type hangars and the control tower, remain standing. The control tower is a protected historic building (Grade II listed) and, along with the other remaining structures, serves as a tangible reminder of the site's wartime past.

Opened in 1940, RAF Windrush played a crucial role during World War II as a training base. It primarily functioned as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG) for trainee pilots from other stations. Its most significant contribution was as a Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, where pilots were trained to fly the large Airspeed Horsa gliders. These gliders were essential for major Allied airborne operations, including the D-Day landings in Normandy (Operation Overlord) and Operation Market Garden. The airfield was instrumental in preparing the glider forces for these pivotal assaults. After the war, its brief life as a private strip was a common fate for many former military airfields.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as an active airport or airstrip. The land is privately owned and has been successfully repurposed for agricultural and industrial use. The cost to restore the runways and facilities to modern aviation standards would be prohibitive, and there is no political or economic driver for such a project. Its status as a closed, historic airfield is considered permanent.