RAF Bradwell Bay


RAF Bradwell Bay is a former Royal Air Force station located east of Maldon, Essex, England and south west of West Mersea, Essex.

History

The central area of the current airfield was first laid down before WW2 as a grass-surfaced landing ground for the nearby Dengie firing ranges off the coast before being rebuilt from 1940 onwards as an enlarged RAF station with concrete runways, hangars and ancillary buildings. The station is unique as it was the only fighter station where the Fog Investigation and Dispersal Operation was used.

Based units

An area of the northern part of the site is occupied by the remains of the Bradwell nuclear power station, the Magnox element of which is currently being decommissioned.
Several of the hangars are still used as storage by the local farmers and the control tower is now a private house.
Agricultural buildings, built in the '70s and '80s on runways one and two, are now home to several local businesses.

Citations