Control Tower

1952 Squadron-Leader Neville Duke, flying the Hawker Hunter, took off from Dunsfold in Surrey to make an attempt on the hundred-kilometre closed circuit record. His speed was 709.2 and a “Victory Roll” marked this, his second air speed triumph.

WWII Watch Office stands in the centre of the northern side of the main runway industrial heritage. The majority of these types of buildings on airfields have been removed.

Latter known as a Control Tower, the visual control room [VCR] was added to bring it in line with air traffic control – steel framed clad with anti-glare glass. Precast concrete stair internally.

Designed by the architect: Frank H Lambert and has the Dwg No: 12779/41. It is a rare example that includes the latter Air Traffic Control (ATC) to second floor.

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1950s Control Tower interior
1952 Dunsfold Control Tower
1986 Dunsfold Control Tower
2016 Dunsfold Control Tower

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6 Replies to “Control Tower”

    1. I would guess all equipment was removed after the new tower came into use in mid 1980. In the new tower in early 2011, only the runway edge lights were connected, all other wiring having been destroyed by ‘persons unknown’ after BAE moved out.

      1. Thanks Terry, So my next question is how much of the circle lights infrastructure is left in the numerous fields around the airfield? It would be a big job to have to dig up the stalks and loom that served them all.

  1. I was SATCO of Dunsfold and designed the new tower. In my time at the aerodrome there was no evidence of the circuit lights even the runway lights were disconnected. I had runway edgelights installed before the new tower. The new tower had an ex RAF AR1 radar on the roof

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