MARTLESHAM HEATH
Ken Ellis examines the legacy of Martlesham Heath - a famous test establishment
AIRFIELDS
Boscombe Down, Farnborough, Felixstowe, Thurleigh and other names roll off the tongue as legendary British test centres. But probably the greatest of them all is Martlesham Heath, northeast of Ipswich, in Suffolk. For many years it was the home of evaluation and trials but it also had a stellar frontline heritage that included fighters of the ‘Mighty Eighth’.
Today, much of the site is a ‘garden’ village and a busy retail, leisure and industrial zone. The A12 arterial road slices its way through the former airfield and a high-speed traveller may get the impression that all traces of this famous base have been bulldozed away. That is far from the case, as there is much to discover.
Central to a visit to Martlesham Heath is the restored control tower, which serves as a shrine to its legacy. This is run by the vibrant Martlesham Heath Aviation Society (MHAS) and is open on Sunday afternoons from April to October. Once you’ve got over the surreal image of a control tower amid a housing estate, you are in for a treat.
Test and trials
Heathland to the west of the River Deben and southwest of the town of Wo…
