RAF Stradishall

The closure of RAF Stradishall was a result of the 1960s UK defence cuts and a strategic reorganisation of the Royal Air Force. As military aviation technology advanced and strategic needs shifted away from a large network of WWII-era airfields, many bases, including Stradishall, were deemed surplus to requirements and were closed as part of a military drawdown.

The site has been completely redeveloped and shows no resemblance to an active airfield. The former domestic and technical sites of the RAF station have been converted into two separate prisons operated by His Majesty's Prison Service:

1. **HM Prison Highpoint North:** A Category C male prison.
2. **HM Prison Highpoint South:** Also a Category C male prison.

The former married quarters (the housing for RAF personnel and their families) were sold and now form the civilian village of Stradishall. While some remnants of the original runways and taxiways are still visible on satellite imagery, they are broken, partially removed, and entirely unusable for any aviation purposes.

RAF Stradishall was a significant airfield with a history spanning from before WWII into the Cold War. Key points include:

- **Opening and Pre-War:** The station opened in February 1938 as part of the RAF's expansion plan. It was initially assigned to No. 3 Group of RAF Bomber Command.

- **World War II:** Stradishall played a crucial role from the outset of the war. It was home to squadrons flying Vickers Wellington bombers, including No. 9 and No. 149 Squadrons, which conducted some of the earliest bombing raids against Germany. Later in the war, it transitioned to a major training role, hosting No. 1657 Heavy Conversion Unit (HCU), which trained crews to fly heavy bombers like the Short Stirling and Avro Lancaster.

- **Post-War Era:** After the war, the station's role evolved. It hosted various units, including the Central Flying School (Helicopters) for a period. During the Cold War, it became a front-line jet fighter base, operating aircraft such as the Gloster Meteor, de Havilland Venom, Hawker Hunter, and finally the Gloster Javelin all-weather fighter. It also served as a designated V-bomber dispersal airfield, ready to host nuclear-armed bombers in a time of crisis.

None. There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Stradishall as an airport. The site is comprehensively occupied by critical national infrastructure (two large prisons) and a civilian village. The cost and complexity of relocating these facilities make any proposal to revert the land to aviation use entirely unfeasible.