Parachute Store. Building 92
Unknown Structure
Station Offices. Building 147
Type “A” Hangar. Building 137
Station Offices. Building 147
Main Stores. Building 90
FFMT Shed. Building 119
Main Workshop. Building 99
Bomb Store. Building 216
Guard House. Building 89
Main Workshop. Building 99
Type “A” Hangar. Building 137
Power House. Building 82
Operations Block. Building 146
Air Raid Shelter
Operations Block. Building 146
Power House (Backup). Building 93
Type “C” Hangar. Building 108
Station Offices. Building 147
Petrol tanker shed. Building 105
Fire Party Hut. Building 88
Type “A” Hangar. Building 79
Station Offices. Building 147
Switchboard, Operations Block.. Building 146
Motor Transport Shed. Building 129
Station Offices. Building 147
Fire Tender & Hucks Starter Shelter. Building 121
Station Offices. Building 147
Walking into the buildings at RAF Bicester in 2013 is like entering a time capsule back to the second world war. RAF Bicester was part of Bomber Command in WW2 being used mainly for training. The RAF left in 1976 and most of the buildings have been left untouched since. The site is of architectural and historical importance being the most complete and untouched example of such a collection of buildings most having being built in the 1920’s. The site contains a number of listed buildings and scheduled monuments.
What I found fascinating about the site as a photographic subject is that the decay and abandonment have added new layers of meaning to the utilitarian buildings so the impression today is an intriguing mix of the evocative and the impenetrable.
In May 2013 the site was sold to Bicester Heritage who kindly gave me permission to photograph the site before they start renovation. My particular thanks to Daniel Geoghegan and Charles Morgan.
Geometry & Silence 