Wisley Airfield

Wisley Airfield

Company type	Former airfield
Industry	Aviation
Founded	1942
Fate	Ceased operations in 1973; dismantled and returned to farmland in 1980
Headquarters	Ockham, Surrey , England, United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom
Owner	Ministry of Supply (initially), Ministry of Defence (later), then returned to private ownership (Ockham Park Estate)

Wisley Airfield was a wartime airstrip situated in the Parish of Ockham near Wisley in Surrey, England. Initially established as a grass strip for testing aircraft manufactured by Vickers at Weybridge, the runway was resurfaced with tarmac in 1952. The airfield remained active under British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) after Vickers' aviation division was absorbed. Operations ceased in 1973 due to the runway's inadequate length for larger planes and its proximity to Heathrow Airport. Subsequently, all installations were dismantled except the runway, and the property was returned to its primary pre-war owner in 1980 for use as farmland.

History

The site for this airfield was requisitioned in 1942 during the Second World War by the Ministry of Supply and leased to Vickers-Armstrong. The majority of the land came from the Ockham Park Estate, which owned most of the village of Ockham, Surrey at that time. The land was primarily taken from Hyde, Stratford, and Corsair farms, with additional contributions from other tenants. Farm occupants vacated their homes in compliance with government directives. It has long been understood that the government committed to restoring the land to its original agricultural state upon its return to previous owners.

In May 1969, Wisley was selected as the arrival airstrip for the Daily Mail transatlantic race because of its closeness to London. The Royal Navy Phantom FG.1, piloted by Lt Cmdr Burrowman, landed there but suffered burst tyres on both main wheels, causing difficulties before coming to a stop. Burrowman then completed his journey to London via Wessex helicopter from Bisley.

BAC ended their lease in 1972. By then, ownership had passed from the Ministry of Supply to the Ministry of Defence, which arranged for disposal through the Property Services Agency (PSA).

Since the land was not officially registered at the HM Land Registry until 1981, wartime transfers and related conditions are not documented. This issue was addressed in a House of Lords debate when the land was sold back to Lord Lytton, heir to the Ockham Park Estate, in 1980.

Opposing potential use as an executive jet facility, Lord Nugent stated: "The airfield's history shows it was requisitioned during wartime in 1943 for military purposes with a clear commitment that once no longer required it would revert to pre-war agricultural usage. This commitment has been reaffirmed over time by various government departments responsible for authorising this special occupancy. Both Surrey County Council and Guildford Borough Council insisted that upon sale back to Lord Lytton, all buildings and hard surfaces including the runway must be removed to ensure restoration to agricultural use and uphold green belt policies. After extensive discussions these conditions were confirmed by a PSA letter dated 15 November 1977 stating no sale would proceed until removal of structures and runway occurred. Further correspondence in 1978 reiterated this position, culminating in a letter on 6 March 1979 from junior Minister Mr Ken Marks confirming it once again to Sir George Sinclair MP. Therefore, it was a considerable shock when on 13 July last year a PSA letter announced sale would proceed with the runway intact. This decision enables potential commercial airport use contrary to longstanding commitments over thirty-six years and undermines green belt conservation efforts. My noble friend Lord Onslow will elaborate further on these breaches."

The Minutes from Ockham Parish Council at that time corroborate this prevailing understanding.

Location filming

This location is favored by filmmakers due to its elevated position offering exceptional, uninterrupted views southward toward the North Downs. These scenic panoramas serve as an ideal backdrop for productions, benefiting from proximity to London. The rural vistas were instrumental in replicating the northern French countryside during the October 2010 shoot of Steven Spielberg's film War Horse.

Renowned British director John Boorman utilized a section of the disused runway to recreate a wartime suburban London street for the primary set of his 1987 autobiographical film Hope and Glory.

Future plans

In March 2010, John Denham, then Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, authorized Wharf Land Investments to develop a substantial composting facility on the former airfield site; however, construction has yet to commence. The proposed plant would process approximately 30,000 tonnes of waste annually and occupy around 17 hectares. Access would be facilitated by a newly constructed road connecting to the A3 Ockham roundabout. This approval came after Surrey County Council failed to issue a decision within the statutory timeframe. The project faced opposition from local residents and nearby attractions such as RHS Garden, Wisley, concerned about increased daily traffic volumes.

In 2014, proposals emerged for establishing a new town on Wisley Airfield’s green belt land, envisioning the construction of between 2,000 and 2,250 homes. These plans were ultimately rejected by Guildford Borough Council, with a subsequent appeal to the Planning Inspectorate also dismissed in June 2018.

Taylor Wimpey acquired the site in March 2020 for development purposes. As of August 2020, community consultation events were actively underway. In July 2020, a formal Q&A document was published capturing public inquiries and developer responses regarding the project.

The Stratford View development, comprising 459 homes to be built by Taylor Wimpey, received approval in November 2025.

External links

• Tour of Wisley Airfield – YouTube