NHER 7364 (Monument record) - Oulton Second World War Airfield

17 August 1977. Visited.
Airfield from World War Two. Most of runways remain, some under battery farms. The rest has been returned to agriculture. Road crosses it. Hangar remains to the southeast. Several Nissen huts visible.
E. Rose (NAU).

July 1940 to November 1941; Satellite to Horsham St Faith. 114 Squadron, bomber Command, flying Blenheims.
September 1942 to September 1943; satellite to Swanton Morley.
May 1944 to July 1945 USAAF.
October 1945 to November 1947 storage satellite to Swannington. There was a World War I field at Oulton. Its site is not known but may possibly be the same.
E. Rose (NAU).

1979. Large portions of runways taken up and used as hard core for Aylsham bypass.
E. Rose (NAU).

The Control Tower remains west of road. The old canteen is used as a Village Hall.
(S1) in file.
World War Two anti-aircraft artillery (S2).
D. Gurney (NLA) 28 January 1997.

For further information on the operational history of the airfield and photographs of remaining buildings, see (S3).
A. Cattermole (NLA), 13 January 2010.

During World War Two, the Officers Mess was at Blicking Hall (NHER 5115).
D. Gurney (HES), 08 March 2013.

March 2022. Aylsham and Brampton Aerial Investigation and Mapping (AIM) Project.
The site of Oulton Second World War airfield can be seen as an extant structure on aerial photographs (S4-S11). The mapping relates to the airfield as seen on the 1946 (S6) aerial photographs. The airfield can be seen on the 1942 aerial photographs (S4) before the site was redeveloped. The later phases of the airfield can be seen on the 1944 (S5) and 1946 (S6) aerial photographs. The locations of the main elements of the airfield have been mapped. These include: the hangers (centred at TG 1375 2767, TG 1511 2657,TG 1532 2707, TG 1511,2733), the control tower (centred at TG 1495 2723), the technical site (centred at TG 1515 2738), the bomb stores (centred at TG 1425 2794 and TG 1487 2841), a structure with a possible blast wall (centred at TG 1476 2661), groups of huts most likely relating to accommodation and support structures (centred at TG 1525 2805 TG 1585 2759, TG 1648 2724, TG 1631, 2697, TG 1580 3271), possible railway sidings (centred at TG 1410 2673) at the site of the former Bluestone railway station to the south of the airfield and the sewage works to the east of the airfield (centred at TG 1695 2729). Further features are visible within the monument polygon which have not been mapped including areas of hardstanding, roads, dispersal pens, possible shelters associated with the areas of huts and a range of smaller huts seen across the site. Three possible structures can be seen at the ends of the runways on (S6). The function of these structures is unknown and its possible that the features may have related to lights. A number of pillboxes are also visible across the area and have been recorded separately (NHER 12733, 32497, 65384,65385 and NHER 65799). The airfield can be seen to be dismantled in a piecemeal fashion over time on the consulted sources (S8-S10). Elements of the airfield including sections of runway, areas of hardstanding, some of the huts and structures can be seen as extant structures on recent (2020) aerial photographs (S11). Cropmarks of removed buildings (such as the site of the hanger located at TG 1532 2707) and removed sections of runway can also be seen on the recent aerial photographs (S11).
The mapped extent of this site has been slightly extended [1].
J. Powell (Norfolk Historic Environment Service), 07 March 2022.