At Upper Heyford there are a number of buildings which English Heritage have given "higher listing" and are classed as "Ancient Monuments". The three Nose Dock sheds here have that status.

Brief description:

GV II Nose Dock hangars.
Built during1950/1, by the British Ministry of Works the Nose Docks followed the form of a wartime hangar used to service the Sunderland flying boats, but for the United States Air Force Strategic Air Command (SAC). Made from Aluminium cladding on aluminium frame, with corrugated steel roof.
It has a Stepped 'T'-shape, with a long cantilevered front to create the long opening needed to accommodate the American B50Ds, KB29Ps, and later the B47 Stratojets that were based here. Folding doors on a long elevation of aluminium. Internal bracing was also of aluminium.

HISTORY: RAF Upper Heyford was established as a bomber station as part of the Home Defence Expansion Scheme of 1923. Following the breakdown of East-West relations with the Berlin Crisis of 1948, it was identified for use by the USAF Strategic Air Command (SAC) in 1950 as a permanent site for its aircraft. The existing WWII hangars were too small for the massive new bombers, so a specific hangar type was developed, known as a 'Nose Dock'. As the name suggests, the Nose Dock hangars sheltered only the front section of the aircraft, so that it was possible to work on its nose and engines under cover. Cover for the rest of the aircraft was not regarded as important.

Upper Heyford was served by squadrons of KB-29P refuelling aircraft from the end of 1951 and from June 1953 by the B47 Stratojet. The aircraft were deployed in Britain on 90-day rotations, so that only routine maintenance and emergency repairs had to be undertaken here. By the late 1950s a policy of 'reflex alert' was established, which meant that Upper Heyford was used intensively while other bases saw little action. The base became the centre for the F111-E in 1970, and was the only European airfield for these planes until 1977 when Lakenheath was similarly upgraded.

The Upper Heyford Nose Dock trio are not only the most complete survivals of this type of hangar, but are of interest in being built of aluminium, then in its infancy as a building material. In 1956 the American journalist John Peter wrote that 'aluminium has been more widely used for large structural applications in Great Britain than in any other country. British engineers have produced brilliant designs whose ingenuity and precision have brought structural use of this easy-to-erect material to a cost roughly equivalent to that of steel.'

The hangars have historic interest as rare built survivors of this era, demonstrating graphically the special relationship between Britain and the United States, and they have technical interest in their early use of aluminium as a building material. The three hangars form a group with other survivors of similar interest, and together demonstrate the phases of the American nuclear deterrent in Britain as is found at no other base.



When built the Nose Docks were unique in there construction made of aluminium



Offering only limited cover for the aircraft and built primarily to service the Nose and engines only. The docks were open to the cold air that blows across a typical airfield. it must have been a cold place to work.



Only small offices were located at the back of each shelter for service crew and admin staff.



The doors slide back like a concertina. They were last used to service aircraft back in the 1960's, from that period on they were in use as paint spray shops.



Ventilation exhaust for the later added paint shops.



A B47 on the SAC Dispersal site at Upper Heyford, circa 1956. A Nose Dock can just be seen in the right of the picture



B47 on the dispersal by the Upper Heyford Control Tower circa 1956.

Thanks for looking