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Seething!

JimG

By JimG
in The Broadscot Lounge

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

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We went to find the place earlier on this year as it used to be a WW2 airbase. There`s a museum based in the control tower..

 

Seething was one of 32 (i think) WW2 airbases in Norfolk, but the closest one to the Broads is probably ex R.A.F Ellough at Beccles. The other ones close to the Broads are Coltishall, Ludham, and Rackheath. There were several that were not far from the Broads, Flixton, Seething above and Horsham St Faith which is now Norwich airport.

 

When we were on Lightning last week, we had friday ashore and drove up to Blickling hall. Being National trust members it did`nt cost us anything on the day, when we got there, we found a new addition since we were there 2 years ago which is the R.A.F Oulton museum. It`s inside one of Blickling halls outbuildings, so is quite small, but very interresting.

 

There used to be a small private air museum at Ludham near the pumping station as you walk into the village from the moorings. I went in there in the 80s, but i think it closed many years ago.

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

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It certainly is Peter, we went there in May while staying in a cottage near Halesworth. It`s a very interresting place, with a surprisingly long list of exibits. AND, it`s FREE to visit, though we did make a donation of £10 and bought some things in the shop. They were having a raffle in aid of something, which we won an R.A.F Reserves "T" shirt. I thought one of forum mods would like it because of his R.A.F history?  :naughty:

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

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http://www.rainair.co.uk/history.html

 

The Flixton Air Museum is well worth searching out, in my opinion.

http://www.aviationmuseum.net/

 

 

Just clicked on the top link peter, and they mention some books, one of which is "Suffolk airfields of the second world war". Karen recently bought this book for me, to go woth my mounting collection.  I also have Norfolk airfields of the second world war, and the Dorset one too. I`m going top be buying a few more, Essex, Kent, Hapshire, and probably Cmbridgeshire.

 

I`m not sure how many there are in the collection, but if anybody is interrested in buying them, be very aware, some are listed at VERY expensive prices on some websites, but are very reasonable ellsewhere.

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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It does and there is a boardwalk between the two. Only problems are the sluices at Homersfield, Ellingham, Bungay and probably one or two other places too. So long as your bathtub has wheels and folding roof you should have no problem. Very pretty part of the Waveney, worth a canoe or kayak trip. 

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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If your down near Bungay you can hire canoes from rowan marine in gelderstone a short drive further on. Done it and had a laugh but not been to any if the museums.

Didn't realise there were so many around.

Sure are!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Norfolk

 

Suffolk do a long list too.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_museums_in_Suffolk

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C.Ricko

C.Ricko

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If anyone would like to visit

an original 'blister' hanger from Seething airfield then come to Stalham, we trim the mouldings in there, it is what was John Williams shed when he rented space off us...

It is the first shed Dad put up, there are pics of it on here some where..I think......

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

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If anyone would like to visit

an original 'blister' hanger from Seething airfield then come to Stalham, we trim the mouldings in there, it is what was John Williams shed when he rented space off us...

It is the first shed Dad put up, there are pics of it on here some where..I think......

 

Were the big hanger like sheds in your yard actually hangers at one time Clive, or were they purposely built there?.

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C.Ricko

C.Ricko

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There is also a Heinkel bomber in a shed in Martham  ;)

 

the new build blister hanger and the T2 hanger next to the main road were from Metfield 

I can't remember where the wet shed T2 was from but it is probably on here somewhere...

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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There is also a Heinkel bomber in a shed in Martham  ;)

 

That wouldn't surprise me in the least. Boatwise, at least, you don't need to look far before finding whatever it was that you wanted hidden under a layer of cobwebs and sawdust! So if it's a Heinkel bomber you want I suspect Martham's sheds are as likely a place as any to find one!

 

Actually I did notice a bi-plane in a barn on Cess Road.

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SPEEDTRIPLE

SPEEDTRIPLE

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Went past Metfield (i think) when we stayed in the cottage near Halesworth.

 

We drove over to see John and Mary Jane one day, and drove past several old ex wartime airfields on the way back. John gave us a shorter route through the countryside which we followed, and sure enough, whenever we drove through an area that was flat and wide open, there used to be an airfield there. I`ve been fascinated with ex WW2 airfields ever since my Aunt and Uncle had a bungalow on the side of what used to be Hawkinge airfield. This was back in the late 60s, and they`d been filming the Battle of Britain there. My Uncle, being ex R.A.F. was in his element.

 

One day, we stepped over their back fence into the airfield and took a walk up round the peri track to the hangers and buildings. To say it was atmospheric is the understatement of the wolrd. Untill then, i`d never heard the term "you can hear the ghosts"  but that day, you could almost hear the planes coming into land. Very moving indeed, and a feeling i had many years later when i worked at West Malling airdrome at the beginning of the 90s, which was just before the soulless authorities dug it up and built that sprawling mess called "Kings Hill Park" on the site.

 

If the weather was dry, i regularly used to take a lunchtime walk to the end of the runway, but if you crssed over the end, it fealt like you were in a different world, and again could hear the gohsts, which was exactly the same fealing i got at Hawkinge. 

 

I keep hinting to Karen that i`d like to have an extra week after being afloat and spend the time searching out some of the old airfields that still have some of their runways and buildings still in tact, if thats possible that is, especially if they`re in a run down state, as you don`t get the same feelings if they`re occupied in a modern day form.

 

Anyway, enough of that, i`m sure you`ll all get bored..

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JennyMorgan

JennyMorgan

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Where the market was, yes, WII

 

After WWII many of the buildings became homes to squatters whilst many a local learn't to drive, often well under age, on the redundant runways. The man who bought the airfield from the air-ministry, when it was decommissioned, found platinum coils, radar or radio perhaps, which he was able to sell for rather more than he'd paid for the whole airfield.  He later made another killing when he sold acres of crushed concrete to the construction industry.

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Happy

Happy

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Speedtriple.  Interesting to read what you have said about Hawkinge.  Have you been back since then?  Hawkinge used to be a village but now more like a town!  The air museum still has a small part of the old airfield but the rest is new housing.  Worth a look if you are passing!  Regards Alan cheersbar  :wave

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