World War II fighter pen, Cold War blast walls and associated remains at the airfield formerly known as RAF Coltishall

Scheduled area

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History & significance

RAF Coltishall fighter pen is a concrete defensive structure dating to the Second World War period, constructed to protect aircraft from enemy air attack. The pen consists of blast walls of reinforced concrete designed to shelter fighter aircraft during bombing raids and enemy strafing, representing a standard air defence measure employed at RAF fighter stations throughout the conflict. The airfield also retains associated remains from the Cold War era, reflecting its continued military use and adaptation following 1945 as tensions with the Soviet Union necessitated further defensive modifications. The surviving structures at the former RAF Coltishall constitute important physical evidence of both wartime air defence strategy and the subsequent Cold War militarisation of Norfolk's strategic airfields.

World War II fighter pen, Cold War blast walls and associated remains at the airfield formerly known as RAF Coltishall is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1021425. View the official record →

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