RAF Templeton

The airfield was closed as part of the massive post-war military drawdown across the United Kingdom. With the end of hostilities, the extensive network of training and satellite airfields was no longer required, and Templeton was deemed surplus to requirements.

The former airfield is now a mixed-use site. The original three-runway layout is still largely intact and clearly visible from the air, though the surfaces are no longer suitable for aviation. A significant portion of the site has been redeveloped into the Templeton Airfield Industrial Estate, housing numerous local businesses. Other parts of the site are used for agriculture, a large Sunday market and car boot sale, and a go-kart track (Carew Karting) which operates on a section of the old perimeter track. Several original wartime structures, including the Grade II listed control tower and various pillboxes, still stand on the site, though many are in a derelict state.

Opened in early 1943, RAF Templeton was a Class A bomber airfield that played a crucial role in wartime training. It primarily functioned as a satellite airfield for the nearby RAF Carew Cheriton. The station was heavily involved in training aircrews for Coastal Command, hosting No. 3 (Coastal) Operational Training Unit, which operated aircraft like the Bristol Beaufighter. The airfield was also transferred to the Admiralty and used by the Fleet Air Arm as RNAS Templeton (a satellite of RNAS Dale, HMS Goldcrest), where naval squadrons such as 794 and 808 Naval Air Squadrons trained on aircraft including the Supermarine Seafire and Spitfire. Its operations were vital for preparing pilots and crews for combat and patrol duties during the latter stages of the war.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen RAF Templeton as a functional airport. The site's partial redevelopment for industrial and recreational use, combined with the significant cost of restoring the aviation infrastructure to modern standards, makes any prospect of reopening for aviation purposes extremely unlikely.