Great Orton
Did you know?
"The foot and mouth outbreak of 2001 saw 466,312 animals – 448,308 of them sheep - being buried in 26 trenches in and around the runways at Great Orton. Several other airfields were also used for this task.
"| Also known as: | RAF Great Orton / RAF Station, Great Orton / Watchtree Nature Reserve / Wiggonby (unofficial local name) |
| County: | Cumbria |
| Current Status: | Leisure activity / Nature reserve / Public road / Wind farm |
| Date: | 1 June 1943 - 15 August 1952; subsequent minor use |
| Current Use: | Disused |
| Used By: | RAF (main user) / Civil (minor use) |
| Landing Surface Types: | Paved |
| Aircraft Roles: | Air-sea rescue / General aviation (minor use) / Military development/support / Trainer (main role) |
Opened in June 1943, the former RAF Great Orton, known locally as Wiggonby, was mainly used as a satellite airfield for nearby Silloth by Vickers Wellingtons of No 6 Operational Training Unit. A few other flying unit detachments were stationed here in WW2 for shorter periods, notably No 55 Operational Training Unit (Hawker Hurricanes) and two air-sea rescue squadrons which operated Vickers Warwicks. As the Second World War ended in Europe, the airfield became home to No 249 Maintenance Unit for bomb storage until both this unit and the airfield closed in August 1952.
Sections of all three runways remain, also the perimeter track (now partly a minor road) and the control tower, and in recent years there was some light aircraft activity; the site also became home to a wind farm in the 1990s. The foot and mouth crisis of 2001 saw Great Orton airfield become the main site in Britain for the disposal of slaughtered animals – nearly half a million of them (mostly sheep) were killed and then buried in 26 pits surrounding the runways. The Watchtree Nature Reserve was later established to restore the site.
The following organisations are either based at, use and/or have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 01/09/2011):
- Aikton Parish Council - most of airfield
- Kirkbampton Parish Council - north side of airfield
- Orton (Carlisle) Parish Council - part of east side of airfield
- Watchtree Nature Reserve
- Watchtree Wheelers
- Wigton Library
The following alternative information/mass media sources have at least potentially significant connections with the airfield (as at 30/11/2018):
- Kirkbampton Village in Cumbria
Main unit(s) present:
- No 1 (Coastal) Engine Control Demonstration Unit
- No 3 TEU
- No 4 TEU
- No 6 (Coastal) OTU
- No 55 OTU
- No 60 MU
- No 219 MU
- No 249 MU
- No 281 Sqn
- No 282 Sqn
- Morris Air Sports
- North West Gyroplane Club
Photographs from the unveiling of the ABCT memorial marker at Great Orton on 17 October 2010:
Hawker Hurricane on detachment to Great Orton from Longtown with No 55 OTU. Courtesy of John Huggon.
Control tower at Great Orton, 1967. Courtesy of John Huggon.
Remains of a runway at Great Orton, 26 September 2007.
The control tower at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
The interior of the control tower at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
The interior of the control tower at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
The interior of the control tower at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
Remains of the airfield at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
A nature reserve created at Great Orton. Photograph from 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
One of the runways at Great Orton, 2012. Courtesy of Gordon Akitt.
Rare sign to Great Orton, 13 February 2015.
Remains of the control tower at Great Orton, 11 May 2016.
Part of the perimeter track at Great Orton, now a road, 18 June 2016.
Part of the perimeter track at Great Orton, now a road, 18 June 2016.
Part of the perimeter track on the north side of the airfield, 2010.
The control tower at Great Orton, 2010.
Aerial footage of Great Orton, June 2014. Courtesy of FPV Carlisle Cumbria