RAF Ingham Heritage Centre

About the museum

RAF Ingham was a grass airfield in Lincolnshire, north of Lincoln, built in 1940 as a relief landing ground for RAF Hemswell. It became RAF Ingham in May 1942, when No. 300 (Masovian) Polish Squadron arrived. Over the next two years Polish squadrons 300 and 305 and the British 199 Squadron flew Vickers Wellington bombers from the station on bombing and mine-laying missions. After the last squadron left in 1944, flying training and other units used the site, and the Polish Resettlement Corps was based there. The airfield closed in 1946 and the land went back to farming.

The airfield was almost forgotten until 2003, when Geoff Burton began to research it. An exhibition in the village hall in May 2010 drew more than 200 visitors, and in November 2010 local volunteers formed the RAF Ingham Heritage Group. They cleared the overgrown buildings, secured a 25-year lease, and built a car park, paths, a memorial and a remembrance garden. In 2023 the volunteers received the King’s Award for Voluntary Service.

Today the centre occupies the former Airmen’s Mess and is dedicated to the men and women of the Polish Air Force bomber squadrons who served alongside the RAF in the Second World War, and to the story of their settlement in post-war Britain. It has a bilingual exhibition, a recreated Polish Families Resettlement Nissen Hut, a small cinema, a shop and the Airmen’s Rest café.

Highlights

• Exhibition on the Polish Air Force bomber squadrons in Britain
• Recreated Polish Families Resettlement Nissen Hut
• Memorial and remembrance garden with airmen silhouettes
• Small cinema and bilingual Polish and English displays
• Airmen’s Rest café with picnic garden

Permanent exhibitions

• Polish Air Force Bomber Squadrons exhibition – A bilingual exhibition on the Polish bomber squadrons in Britain and the wartime history of RAF Ingham.
• Polish Families Resettlement Nissen Hut – A recreated late-1940s Nissen hut home showing how Polish families settled in post-war Britain.

Founded

2010

Operated by

Ingham Aviation Heritage Ltd (RAF Ingham Heritage Group)

Admission & discounts

Accessibility

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

All outdoor paths and indoor floors are on one level. The car park access has a step-up, with several temporary ramps provided, and a small ramp leads into the building. The reception counter has a lowered section for wheelchair users, and a wheelchair can be borrowed on request. The toilets are gender neutral, with an accessible toilet that has an emergency pull cord. Assistance dogs are welcome in the buildings and other well-behaved dogs on a lead are allowed. Exhibition boards use large text and the exhibition is bilingual in Polish and English.

Kids & families

• Baby changing facilities

Under-16s are free. A baby changing facility is in the toilet block.

Getting there & parking

The centre is on the B1398 between the villages of Ingham and Fillingham. Passengers can ask the bus driver to drop them at the centre, but this is not guaranteed.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop

The Airmen’s Rest café and snack bar serves snacks and drinks, with outdoor tables and a picnic garden, and can be visited without visiting the centre. The shop is at the entrance.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this.

Plan your visit