Ibsley airfield was the first of the airfields built in the Avon valley of Hampshire and the only fighter station in the area to have asphalt-surfaced runways. It was originally surveyed before the war but passed over until approved as a satellite and forward base for RAF Middle Wallop during 1940.
Taking on my Sony Ericisson C905 mobile phone
With the end of military control, the land (complete with runways, perimeter track, etc.) was handed back to the land owner, Lord Normanton, and his tenant, Mr W. Samson. Like some other Air Ministry sites of the era, Ibsley was to become a motor racing circuit being managed by the Ringwood Motor Cycle and Light Car Club. After an extended period of construction (mostly done by volunteer labor), the first racing event at Ibsley was held on 17 May 1951.
The various types of motor racing continued until 1955 and the land was turned into agricultural use for several years. In the early 1960s, Ibsley was sold to Amey Roadstone, which removed the existing concrete and whatever was left of the airfield hardstands for hardcore aggregate. In addition, the entire site was turned into a quarry to exploit the rich aggregate found beneath the surface.
Today, the former RAF Ibsley is unrecognizeable. The airfield consists mostly of a series of gravel pits and large landscaped lakes. One lake being overlooked by the derelict, windowless control tower. A small memorial is located near the control tower
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