🇬🇧 RAF Holmpton Airport

RAF Holmpton, located near Holmpton in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, was a Cold War-era nuclear bunker and early warning radar station. It was built in the 1950s as part of the ROTOR Radar Defence Programme and remained in military service until it was sold into private ownership on December 8, 2014, after 62 years.

Historically, RAF Holmpton served various critical functions. It was fully operational as an RAF Early Warning Radar Station from 1954 to 1974, utilizing advanced radar systems like the Decca Type 80. Between 1984 and 1991, following an £18 million refit, it became the National Wartime Command Centre for RAF Support Command. The site also housed an operations area for the Royal Observer Corps, with one monitoring unit remaining until December 1997, making it the last place in the UK where ROC members served.

The site closed to military operations due to government cutbacks and a review of the Defence Estate, leading to its sale in 2014. It is now privately owned and operates as a public exhibition, explaining its 60 years of service with the Royal Air Force. While it closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, it reopened for occasional visits in 2023.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, militaryhistories.co.uk, heritagegateway.org.uk, subbrit.org.uk, kiwix.gnuisnotunix.com*