RAF Hemswell

The closure was a direct result of the UK's evolving post-war defence strategy and military consolidation. After its role as a front-line bomber base, it was converted to host PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missiles from 1959 to 1963. When the Thor missile program was terminated, the station lost its primary strategic purpose. It briefly served as a non-flying recruit training school before being deemed surplus to the RAF's needs amidst wider defence budget reductions, leading to its closure.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is no longer an airfield. The former technical site and hangars have been transformed into a large commercial park known as the Hemswell Cliff Trading Estate. This estate is particularly famous for housing the Hemswell Antique Centres, one of the largest antiques complexes in Europe. The former married quarters now form the residential village of Hemswell Cliff. The runways and airfield area have been largely removed and returned to agricultural use, though faint outlines of the runway layout are still visible from the air. A large and popular Sunday market and car boot sale is regularly held on the remaining hardstanding.

RAF Hemswell has a rich and significant history. Opened in 1937 during the RAF's pre-war expansion, it was a key station for RAF Bomber Command during World War II. It initially operated Handley Page Hampden bombers before becoming one of the first airfields to receive the iconic Avro Lancaster in 1941. Squadrons based at Hemswell, including No. 61 and No. 144, played a crucial role in the strategic bombing campaign against Germany. Post-war, it continued as a bomber base flying Avro Lincolns and English Electric Canberras. During the Cold War, it was a vital part of the UK's nuclear deterrent, hosting Thor missile squadrons. Culturally, the airfield is famous for being used as a primary filming location for the 1955 movie 'The Dam Busters', where it stood in for RAF Scampton.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening RAF Hemswell as an airport. The site's extensive redevelopment into a residential village, a major commercial/industrial estate, and agricultural land makes any such proposal logistically and economically unfeasible. The original airfield infrastructure, including the runways, has been almost entirely dismantled or has fallen into severe disrepair, precluding any possibility of a return to aviation use without immense and prohibitive investment.