RAF Honiley

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Former RAF station in Warwickshire, England

title: "RAF Honiley" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["defunct-airports-in-england", "royal-air-force-stations-in-warwickshire", "royal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdom", "military-airbases-established-in-1941", "military-airbases-closed-in-1958"] description: "Former RAF station in Warwickshire, England" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RAF_Honiley" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Former RAF station in Warwickshire, England ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox military installation"]

FieldValue
nameRAF Honiley
ensignEnsign of the Royal Air Force.svg
ensign_size90px
partof
locationWroxall, Warwickshire
countryEngland
imageRAF Honiley (2014).jpg
captionThe main runway at RAF Honiley (looking east to west)
image2
typeRoyal Air Force sector station 1941-44
coordinates
pushpin_mapWarwickshire#UK
pushpin_map_captionShown within Warwickshire
pushpin_labelRAF Honiley
ownershipAir Ministry
operatorRoyal Air Force
controlledbyRAF Fighter Command 1941-44* No. 9 Group RAF
RAF Bomber Command 1944-* No. 26 (Signals) Group RAF
open_to_publicNo
site_area
codeHY
built/41
usedAugust 1941 – March 1958
builderJohn Laing & Son Ltd
fate
battlesEuropean theatre of World War II
past_commanders
garrison
occupants
IATABHY
elevation141 m
r1-number04/22
r1-length1792 m
r1-surfaceTarmac
r2-number10/28
r2-length
r2-surfaceTarmac
r3-number14/32
r3-length
r3-surfaceTarmac
::

| name = RAF Honiley | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof = | location = Wroxall, Warwickshire | country = England | image = RAF Honiley (2014).jpg | alt = | caption = The main runway at RAF Honiley (looking east to west) | image2 = | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = Royal Air Force sector station 1941-44 | coordinates = | pushpin_map = Warwickshire#UK | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Warwickshire | pushpin_label = RAF Honiley | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = Air Ministry | operator = Royal Air Force | controlledby = RAF Fighter Command 1941-44* No. 9 Group RAF RAF Bomber Command 1944-* No. 26 (Signals) Group RAF | open_to_public = No | site_area = | code = HY | built = /41 | used = August 1941 – March 1958 | builder = John Laing & Son Ltd | fate = | condition = | battles = European theatre of World War II | events = | past_commanders = | garrison = | occupants = | designations = | IATA = BHY | ICAO = | TC = | LID = | GPS = | WMO = | elevation = 141 m | r1-number = 04/22 | r1-length = 1792 m | r1-surface = Tarmac | r2-number = 10/28 | r2-length = | r2-surface = Tarmac | r3-number = 14/32 | r3-length = | r3-surface = Tarmac Royal Air Force Honiley or RAF Honiley is a former Royal Air Force station located in Wroxall, Warwickshire, 7 mi southwest of Coventry, England.

The station closed in March 1958, and after being used as a motor vehicle test track, it was subject to planning permission from the Prodrive Formula One team for development of their Fulcrum test and development facility however this was cancelled.

From September 2014 the site has been used by Jaguar Land Rover for heritage driving experiences with the location being known as Fen End.

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d7/Target_Dossier_for_Honiley,_Warwick,England-DPLA-b6bb662f8c2d103f5abaf4e489c6dc82(page_1).jpg" caption="RAF Honiley on a target dossier of the German [[Luftwaffe]], 1940"] ::

Royal Air Force use

Originally called Ramsey, it was renamed RAF Honiley in August 1941, and used by a variety of squadrons defending the Midlands during the Second World War.

Squadrons

Other units

Facilities

The airfield had 15 hangars; there were three Bellmans and 12 Blister hangars. There was also a cinema and technical workshops.

Post Royal Air Force use

After being taken over by LucasVarity for vehicle testing, residents have included Prodrive, Marcos and TRW.

In addition to their existing automotive consultancy business, which was based at the site from 2001, in March 2006 motor racing company Prodrive announced its intent to build a £200 million, 200 acre motorsport facility called The Fulcrum. Prodrive's statement in the planning application for the facility – which could house as many as 1,000 staff – boasted of "a motorsport complex which could eventually house Prodrive's new British Prodrive F1 team", further cementing Managing Director David Richards' intention to return to F1 in 2008.

As of 3 August 2006, Prodrive won the support of the Warwick District Council planning committee for development of The Fulcrum. The permission covered a highly advanced engineering research and development campus, a conference facility called the Catalyst Centre and new access road, a roundabout, infrastructure, parking and landscaping. The plans still had to be presented and agreed by the British government's Department for Communities and Local Government, and there was local opposition via the Fulcrum Prodrive Action Group (FPAG) to protect the rural nature of the community and the safety of the people that live within it.

However, following rule changes banning so-called 'customer' cars from competing in F1, and legal proceedings undertaken by existing F1 manufacturer teams, Prodrive's F1 plans were shelved indefinitely. Since the sale of the site to Jaguar Land Rover in 2014, Prodrive's business remains based at their Banbury headquarters.

It is also the site of the HON (Honiley) VOR-DME navigation aid, which is positioned to the south of the track.

The old turbine development buildings, previously re-purposed and used as administration offices by Lucas Automotive have been left by Prodrive in the same state they were when Lucas first vacated the site and have become a popular site for Urban Explorers.

Present day

In 2011, the disused administrative building on the site was used as a set by the metalcore band Oceans Ate Alaska in the music video for their debut single Clocks.

The site was purchased by Jaguar Land Rover in 2014 who moved their Heritage Driving Experience operations to it from their Gaydon facility based at the former RAF Gaydon. It currently (as of December 2017) also houses their press car operations, as well as part of their Special Vehicle Operations division.

References

Citations

Bibliography

References

  1. "A Night-time Emergency Landing". BBC – WW2 People's War.
  2. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  3. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  4. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  5. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  6. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  7. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  8. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  9. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  10. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  11. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  12. {{Harvnb. Halley. 1988
  13. "605 Squadron". 605 Squadron County of Warwick Squadron.
  14. "RAF Honiley". Control Towers.
  15. "History of Bramcote Station". Ministry of Defence – British Army.
  16. "Honiley". [[Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust]].
  17. (April 2018)
  18. link. (4 March 2006)
  19. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/coventry_warwickshire/4763590.stm New Formula One plans unveiled] BBC News – 1 March 2006
  20. (April 2018)
  21. "Relocation & Development". Prodrive.
  22. "UK Aviation NavAids Gallery". Trevor Diamond.
  23. "Report – RAF Honiley, Warwickshire". 28 Days Later.
  24. "Oceans Ate Alaska – "Clocks" – Official Video".
  25. "Jaguar Land Rover buys new test track in Warwickshire". [[ITV News]].
  26. "Contact". Heritage Driving.

::callout[type=info title="Wikipedia Source"] This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page. ::

defunct-airports-in-englandroyal-air-force-stations-in-warwickshireroyal-air-force-stations-of-world-war-ii-in-the-united-kingdommilitary-airbases-established-in-1941military-airbases-closed-in-1958