Scheduled MonumentsEnglandCold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase

Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase

England
List entry 1021399
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1021399
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
26.11 hectares
Grid reference
SP 50693 26983, SP 52147 27315, SP 50439 26019, SP 51188 25965, SP 51260 25961
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Upper Heyford Airbase is a Cold War military installation located in Oxfordshire that served as a strategic airfield during the second half of the twentieth century. The site contains structures and facilities dating primarily from the 1950s onwards, reflecting its role as a significant base for Allied operations during the Cold War period. The airbase's physical infrastructure includes runways, dispersal areas, and associated military buildings that exemplify mid-to-late twentieth century military aerospace engineering and defence strategy. Following its closure as an active airbase, the site has been designated for its historical importance in documenting Cold War defence infrastructure on British soil.

Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1021399. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase?

Upper Heyford Airbase is a Cold War military installation located in Oxfordshire that served as a strategic airfield during the second half of the twentieth century. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1021399.

Who is responsible for protecting Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase?

Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1021399.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Turf Maze at Troy Farm (0.7 km), Ardley Wood moated ringwork (1.8 km), Tithe Barn (3 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase report
Or see a real report first
The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase

Cold War structures at the former Upper Heyford Airbase stands on Great Oolite Group, bedrock that formed in the Bathonian. The rock here is sandstone, limestone and argillaceous rocks.