RAF Market Harborough

The primary reason for closure was the end of World War II, which led to a massive reduction in the size and requirements of the Royal Air Force. As a purpose-built wartime training base, RAF Market Harborough was deemed surplus to the needs of the peacetime military.

The former airfield site is now used for multiple purposes and is largely unrecognizable as an airport. A significant portion of the western side of the site is occupied by HMP Gartree, a high-security men's prison that opened in 1965. Part of the former technical site has been redeveloped into the Airfield Business Park. The remainder of the land, including the fragmented and deteriorated remnants of the main runways and perimeter tracks, has been returned to agricultural use. A memorial stone dedicated to all who served at RAF Market Harborough was erected near the former main gate in 2004.

RAF Market Harborough was a significant World War II training base, constructed as a Class A bomber airfield. It opened in June 1943 under the control of RAF Bomber Command's No. 92 Group. Its main operational unit was No. 14 Operational Training Unit (OTU), which flew Vickers Wellington bombers. The OTU's crucial mission was to train complete bomber crews—pilots, navigators, bomb aimers, wireless operators, and air gunners—for night bombing operations over enemy territory. Thousands of airmen passed through the station before being posted to front-line squadrons, making a vital contribution to the Allied war effort. The airfield also had a satellite station at nearby RAF Husbands Bosworth.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Market Harborough as an airport. The extensive development on the site, including a major prison and an industrial estate, combined with the return of the remaining land to agriculture, makes any future aviation use unfeasible.