RAF Condover

**chedd** · 19th January 2009, 16:46

On my way back from work this morning I made a little detour to place I have been meaning to visit for ages off the Telford / Ironbridge road. As it is on private land it is in awesome condition and has not suffered any vandalism. It is a huge sprawling place and I counted well over 30 buildings. Some have been taken over by the trading estate on one side of the road and a number of farms on the other.
I am not familiar with the layout of this type of airfield so if any of our resident experts could shine a light on this place it would be greatly appreciated

The main watchtower

And these 2 buildings adjacent to it

This is a gem, an original fuel pump located near some workshop style buildings

Here is the top of one of the underground buildings, I have not seen this type before

I moved the hinged lid and had a look. The ladders are intact ( i found a stick and prodded the bottom ) but it seems to be flooded to around 4 feet

Further down the bottom end of one of the runways was a riffle range

Riffles number 1 to 47.........

The site is huge, most of the buildings belong to an equine center and the tower area has just been sold to a developer

Big thanks to the groundskeeper at Berriewood farm for helping me get access, what a top bloke

**Hobbler** · 19th January 2009, 18:52

Great pictures - I particularly like the pump .

Condover opened in 1942 and closed in 1945 . It was at first a satellite fighter station but was later used for bombers . The control tower being for the bomber period as the fighter ones were much smaller and usually single story .As the purpose of a satellite station was mainly for emergency use it would have been little used and its main function would have been for training which may explain the relatively good condition.

I suspect the underground building is a Battle HQ centre.

The former WAAF quarters were used as a POW camp for Luftwaffe personnel towards the end of the war and the 3 main runways were removed in fairly recent years with the hardcore being used in the construction of the M54.

**Indy500** · 19th January 2009, 19:15

Absolutely AWESOME pics marmite! Great find...looks a top explore.

And you are right about the pump...what a pearler!

Nice of that bloke to help you too...if only there were more like him!

**Hobbler** · 19th January 2009, 19:58

I have just noticed on the fifth photo of the two buildings near the control tower that the single story building is actually the Control/Watch office from the period the station was used for fighter aircraft.

**chedd** · 19th January 2009, 20:03

Thanks hun, the chap was pretty cool. I explained a little bit about what " we " were upto and he seemed genuinely pleased that there were people bothering with this kind of thing as opposed to the familiar " what the hell is wrong with you people ". Apparently there is a lot more to the camp, the owners are not interested and he has not had time to check it out over the years

There is a large wooded area at the back of the airfield and he says there are loads more buildings hidden away, maybe as Hobbler pointed out, this is where the Luftwaffe personnel were situated....it had the feel of Twemlow about it

**Hobbler** · 19th January 2009, 20:12

I have being doing a bit more digging - the area used for the POW camp was on the western side of the airfield . Does that fit with the buildings in the wooded area you mentioned ?

**Indy500** · 19th January 2009, 20:38

Ooh...the familiar 'itchy fingers'. I feel a trip coming on! Haven't yomped through the woods on a goosechase of the wild variety for ooh...at least a week!

**Emmaj** · 19th January 2009, 20:45

great find and pics chedd

i found this wikipedia entry

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

**chedd** · 19th January 2009, 21:11

Hiya Hobbler

Here is a map of the bit I looked at today. The bulk of the buildings are off the bottom left of the map. The woods where the buildings are located are at the top of my map, unfortunately I could not fit any more on. I don't know if this helps you at all.

(nod your head, just in case they could be watching with their shiny satellites)