RAF Church Lawford

The closure was a result of the post-World War II strategic downsizing of the Royal Air Force. With a significantly reduced need for pilot training facilities after the war, the airfield was deemed surplus to military requirements and was placed on a 'Care and Maintenance' status in 1952 before its final closure to flying in 1955.

The former airfield site has been completely redeveloped and is now the Lawford Heath Industrial Estate. While the original layout is no longer intact, some of the former runways and perimeter tracks have been repurposed as roads within the industrial park. Several original wartime hangars and other buildings still stand and are used by various commercial and industrial businesses. The site is a prominent example of a WWII airfield being repurposed for modern industrial use.

RAF Church Lawford was a key training airfield during World War II. It opened in June 1941 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Its primary mission was advanced pilot training. The station was initially home to No. 20 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) and was later redesignated as No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit ((P)AFU). Thousands of pilots were trained here, primarily on the twin-engine Airspeed Oxford aircraft, before being posted to operational squadrons in Bomber, Fighter, and Coastal Commands. After the war, it briefly hosted transport training units, including No. 105 (Transport) Operational Training Unit flying Douglas Dakotas, before its closure.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening RAF Church Lawford as an airport. The extensive and permanent industrial development across the entire site, including on the former runways, makes any return to aviation activities completely infeasible.