Friday, 24 April 2009
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
Birchwood
In Lincolnshire there was once a network of over 60 RAF airfields, mostly constructed in the 1930s and 1940s. During the second world war war, these bases served as defensive posts against the onslaught of the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain; later they became offensive bases from which allied bombers launched raids against German cities. However, since the war most of these bases have closed down; many were turned into housing estates or other developments. The small community of Birchwood, on the outskirts of Lincoln, is a fine example of this. Land once used for military purposes is now given over to civilian use.
Birchwood today is an estate characterised by bungalows and post-war housing. Everything here is new – even the community church and hall are in the same post war style. The layout of the estate and its streets is somewhat spacious, and as befitting a ‘modern’ development, Birchwood is well connected to Lincoln and the surrounding area by road and bus.
However, if you know where to look, there are still traces of the land’s former use. By the football field, there are hard-standings left behind by the passing of time. Towards the edges of the field, you can still find traces of a gun post or pillbox which has since been demolished, and the control tower hard standing is still visible. The gun posts would have been sighted in such a way as to provide cross fire over the whole area. The runway itself is a football field, with a leisure centre built over part of it. You can still see the alignment – east towards Europe. Overgrown ditches and small trenches still run around the field, though now partly filled with rubbish, such as an abandoned car radio.
Away from the main roads, the estate itself is very quiet; walking through it, the silence was almost unnerving. Some sections of the former base are now dominated by quiet, peaceful woodlands. In these woods can be found the remains of a bomb store, which appears to have recently collapsed in on itself, whether due to human action or simple lack of maintenance. Other signs of the former military presence here are ditches and high embankments, and lurking amid the trees, a large ruined bunker, which is now home to rabbits and other animals.
As I left, I reflected on the irony – the thought that weapons of mass devastation were once kept here, in this peaceful place where children play. It is perhaps a reflection on how far we have come since 1945; however it is also a warning to the future about the ease with which war can corrupt peaceful society.
Birchwood today is an estate characterised by bungalows and post-war housing. Everything here is new – even the community church and hall are in the same post war style. The layout of the estate and its streets is somewhat spacious, and as befitting a ‘modern’ development, Birchwood is well connected to Lincoln and the surrounding area by road and bus.
However, if you know where to look, there are still traces of the land’s former use. By the football field, there are hard-standings left behind by the passing of time. Towards the edges of the field, you can still find traces of a gun post or pillbox which has since been demolished, and the control tower hard standing is still visible. The gun posts would have been sighted in such a way as to provide cross fire over the whole area. The runway itself is a football field, with a leisure centre built over part of it. You can still see the alignment – east towards Europe. Overgrown ditches and small trenches still run around the field, though now partly filled with rubbish, such as an abandoned car radio.
Away from the main roads, the estate itself is very quiet; walking through it, the silence was almost unnerving. Some sections of the former base are now dominated by quiet, peaceful woodlands. In these woods can be found the remains of a bomb store, which appears to have recently collapsed in on itself, whether due to human action or simple lack of maintenance. Other signs of the former military presence here are ditches and high embankments, and lurking amid the trees, a large ruined bunker, which is now home to rabbits and other animals.
As I left, I reflected on the irony – the thought that weapons of mass devastation were once kept here, in this peaceful place where children play. It is perhaps a reflection on how far we have come since 1945; however it is also a warning to the future about the ease with which war can corrupt peaceful society.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)