North Weald Airfield Museum

About the museum

North Weald Airfield Museum is in Ad Astra House, built around 1908 as a private house called Brosely and later used as the station office of RAF North Weald. The house stands next to the old main entrance of the former Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force fighter base, which began flying operations in the First World War and stood down in 1958. The airfield is still used as a civilian flying field, and on most weekends visitors can watch veteran and classic aircraft there.

The museum calls itself a house of memories about the people who lived, worked, flew and died at the airfield. Visitors first see the RAF North Weald Memorial of 2000, with a Norwegian obelisk given to the village in 1952 in gratitude for the wartime presence of the Royal Norwegian Air Force. Inside, a stained glass window installed in 2008 commemorates everyone who served here.

On the ground floor the collections of images and artefacts are arranged in four themed rooms covering 1916 to 1939, the Battle of Britain in 1940, 1941 to 1945 and the jet age from 1945, plus a Blitz room on the civilian war in 1940 to 1942. The museum has no full-size aircraft. It is a registered charity, run by volunteers and funded by memberships and donations.

Highlights

• Memorial obelisk and stained glass window for those who served at North Weald
• Themed rooms from the First World War to the jet age
• Blitz room on the civilian war in 1940–42
• Housed in the former RAF station office
• Veteran and classic aircraft often flying at the airfield on weekends

Permanent exhibitions

• Wulstan Tempest Room (1916–1939) – Images and artefacts about the First World War and the years between the wars at the airfield.
• Victor Beamish Room (Battle of Britain, 1940) – Displays about North Weald during the Battle of Britain.
• Scott-Malden Room (1941–1945) – Displays about the Allied squadrons that served at North Weald in the later war years.

Operated by

North Weald Airfield Museum (registered charity)

Admission & discounts

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Accessibility

• Wheelchair accessible
• Elevator: no information
• Accessible restroom: no information
• Accessible parking: no information
• Service dogs welcome: no information
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

The museum says the ground-floor collections are readily accessible to people with disabilities.

Kids & families

The museum does not describe specific children’s offers.

Getting there & parking

Follow the brown tourist signs for “Memorial and Debt of Honour”. From the M11 (junction 7) follow signs for the A414 towards Ongar, turn right at The Talbot pub and continue through North Weald village; the museum is at the far end of the village on the right.

Amenities & dining

• Museum shop

There is a small museum shop; it sells the book “RAF North Weald: A Pictorial History”. The museum has no café of its own and recommends the Rosey Lea tea room at the airfield.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit