Wroughton Airfield

Military reorganisation and downsizing. The airfield was deemed surplus to the Royal Air Force's requirements as part of post-war defence cuts and strategic changes. After the RAF's departure, it was briefly transferred to the Royal Navy before being largely decommissioned for flying operations.

The site is now owned by the Science Museum Group and operates as the National Collections Centre. It is a world-class storage facility that houses over 300,000 objects from the Science Museum's collection, including historic aircraft, vehicles, and large industrial machinery. The hangars that once housed WWII aircraft now protect these national treasures. A large portion of the site has been converted into a major solar farm, generating renewable energy. The runways and perimeter tracks are famously used as a test track for vehicle testing and have been featured extensively in the television shows 'Top Gear' and 'The Grand Tour' (where it is known as the 'Eboladrome'). The site is not a public airport and is generally not open to the public, except for occasional pre-booked tours.

Opened in April 1940, RAF Wroughton was a crucial site during World War II. It did not serve as a frontline combat base but was a major aircraft maintenance, storage, and preparation depot under No. 41 Group, RAF Maintenance Command. Thousands of aircraft, including Spitfires, Hurricanes, and Lancasters, were received from factories, modified for service, stored, and issued to squadrons from Wroughton. After the war, its role shifted. A significant portion of the site was converted into RAF Princess Alexandra's Hospital, a major RAF medical facility that operated until 1967. The airfield continued to be used for aircraft storage and maintenance by various units, including the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, which took it over briefly as RNAS Wroughton after the RAF's departure in 1972.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Wroughton Airfield for public or military aviation. The site's current use as the National Collections Centre represents a significant, long-term investment by the Science Museum Group. The presence of the large solar farm and its established role as a private test track further solidify its non-aviation status. Re-conversion to an active airfield would be logistically complex, economically unviable, and would require the relocation of a nationally significant museum collection.