Monument record HRM 012 - Horham Airfield

Horham was one of the earliest of the new heavy bomber bases built in East Suffolk to be opened, although it was originally built by the RAF. The two T2 hangars were erected on the S side of the runway. The technical site was adjacent to the two hangars beside the B1117 road to Eye. HQ, administrative and living sites were Nissen hut type temporary buildings and dispersed in farmland to the west of the airfield in the parish of Denham. The USAAF left Horham in 1945, and gave its Stars and Stripes HQ flag to the nearby Stradbroke Church.
The airfield was returned to the RAF on Oct 9th, 1945 and became a satellite for No.s 25 and 26 maintenance units. In Oct 1978, the hangars were dismantled and it was declared a surplus inactive station. In later years, the RAF Bloodhound missile site used part of the airfield but when this moved the complete site was sold during 1961-64. A mushroom growing plant was established at the end of one runway during the 60's and St Ives Sand and Gravel company carried out work elsewhere. On the West, away from the airfield, there stood a hospital and this was used in the 70's by a farmer as a grain store. The doors still had stencilled names on (S1) Sick quarters/hospital (on N side of the airfield, now a museum) and communal site considered worthy of preservation. Officers mess etc being restored. (S2)


A programme of archaeological work comprising a detailed fluxgate gradiometer survey, trial trench evaluation and metal detecting survey at Horham Airfield, Horham, Denham, Suffolk. The geophysical survey was undertaken over an earthwork recorded on an air photograph taken by the RAF in 1945, to determine its function. The fluxgate gradiometer recorded a set of perpendicular running relic field boundary ditches, one of which had been backfilled with a high degree of magnetic material. The trial trench evaluation revealed two World War Two era rubbish pits and a modern ditch A metal detector survey was further carried out in three separate areas, starting with the geophysical survey and trial trench evaluation area, followed by a site located within woodland behind the Red Feather Club 1.5km to the west and finally the bomb dump present 1km to the east. Personal items belonging to the troops and munitions were the primary finds prospected during the metal detector survey (S3).