Today, much of the old airfield is no more – nature, farming and time have all had their impact on what was once a sprawling airfield, home to around 2,500 people. Much of the site is also now private property, with access strictly monitored and supervised by the landowners, the Boughton Estate. The 384th Bombardment Group Museum is indebted to the Estate to be able to access some of these ‘off limits’ areas on specific dates throughout the year when we host our guided walks.

We offer two walks, both very different.

One covers the ‘flying’ side of the old airfield and takes in parts of the remaining areas of runway, we walk around the old taxiways, take in both bomb dumps and also look at a couple of the remaining hardstand areas. This is a very atmospheric walk where the sheer scale of the airfield as was quickly becomes apparent.

The other covers the Communal sites, and also the site of the Museum with access to both the Operations Block and Norden bombsight store. Set almost exclusively with the Grafton Park Wood, although nature has reclaimed many of the areas it is not difficult to step back in time and imagine the hustle and bustle in these areas. It housed all four bomb squadron living areas, the mess halls, clubs, abolution blocks and the famous ‘Foxy Cinema’. Many of the roadways remain, and we would look to visit the central hub where the cinema and Officers Club once stood, two of the squadron accommodation areas, the Group Staff Quarters and Battle HQ remains, finishing at the Group Headquarters area. Between the trees can be spotted many of the concrete pads of the buildings long gone. This walk will finish at the Museum site, when visitors can gain first hand insights as to the progress of the project, including tours of both the Norden bombsight store and the Operations Block, our two original buildings that will always be core components of the Museum Project.

The airfield walk is around 4 miles, mostly on paved areas and the Communal walk around 3 miles. Allow around four hours for both walks, as these are very much intended to be informative, leisurely events.

The groups are led by knowledgeable members of the Volunteer group who will stop along the route and point out areas of interest, with Marshal’s also on hand to guide the groups and answer any questions as we go round.

Unfortunately, many years have passed since the airfield was in its heyday, the walks are not suitable for any person with limited mobility however we would be delighted to arrange a separate visit for any persons unable to take part in the general walks.

To see the dates of our next walks, please check our Events page for details.