RAF Clyffe pypard today

 

The remaining buildings are slowly crumbling, though the old MT sheds are now in use for storage of farm machinery. On the Technical Site, the following structures were still standing as of 2016:

Building 1 - Hangar 1 (Bellman)

Building 5 - CFI/Flight Office (9031/40, temporary brick)

Building 9 - Main Stores (9029/40 & CP127, temporary brick)

Building 25 - MT Sheds (15 bay – 9026/40, temporary brick)

Building 26 - MT Offices (9026/40, temporary brick)

Building 96 - 25-yard Machine Gun Range (2904/36 & 13292/39, permanent brick)

 

Four of the Mushroom pillboxes still survive (rather than three, as is often stated): one alongside the perimeter track on the northeast boundary near to the Battle HQ (134), two on the southwest boundary (154 and 160) and the other (170) just inside the hedge on the northern perimeter.  

 

Finally, on the north-eastern boundary of the old airfield, hidden beneath encroaching undergrowth, is the subterranean concrete-built Battle Headquarters (Building 133 – 11008/41). It stands alongside the original perimeter track, which survives in its entirety for use by farm vehicles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Building 1 - Hangar 1 (Bellman type hangar)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Building 5, the CFI/Flight Office (building type 9031/40, temporary brick)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Building 9 - the Main Stores complex (building type 9029/40 & CP127, temporary brick),

with the Lansdowne Monument at Cherhill in the background at left.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Building 25 - MT Sheds (15 bay – building type 9026/40, temporary brick)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Building 96 - the 25-yard Machine Gun Range (2904/36 & 13292/39, permanent brick)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - Two of the four surviving Mushroom pillboxes: Left is annotated 134 and next to the Battle HQ on the northeast boundary. The similar pillbox at Right is 154, about midway along the southwest boundary. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above) - The other two Mushroom pillboxes are (Left) - 160 on the northern end of the southwest boundary and (Right) - 170, just inside the hedge on the northern perimeter. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Above and below) - The subterranean Battle HQ is nowadays heavily overgrown and waterlogged. The main entrance was the one at left above, via a flight of brick steps. At the other end of the structure, a steel ladder led down into the observation post (entrance toward top of picture), or by turning left, down a flight of stairs into the Battle HQ. The view below shows how well-concealed the structure is nowadays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Below) - aerial views showing the extent of this grass-strip aerodrome. The final view shows the main cluster of remaining buildings, with the hangar at top and remnants of the hardstandings for the remaining three also discernable.