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Base Hetel, United Kingdom

From series “Famous Abandoned Military Bases and Forts”
Year: 1942.

In Great Britain, there are also military facilities that can arouse interest of curious travellers. A good example of this is a military base of Hetel - the former military base of the Royal Air Force, which was actively used during the Second World War. The military base is located in the outskirts of the city of Noridge and is one of the few military facilities in the world, which after the loss of the original meaning got a second life.

Today, the military base belongs to a well-known racing cars manufacturer Lotus Cars, whose specialists use the starting grid for testing cars. The Hetel Airfield was built in 1942 in cooperation with the US Army and was used by the United States and Great Britain until the end of the war. After the war, the military base was used for educational purposes until 1948. Then the base was left. In 1964 the UK Air Force Ministry decided to sell the military complex. For a couple of years, the preserved buildings served as a home for the local residents whose houses were destroyed during the war.

In the 1950s, the Lotus Cars company was interested in the military constructions. In only a few years, the former military base was converted into a car factory, and the runways became an ideal place for testing high-speed cars. Today the military base is not as big as the original object used to be. A part of the starting field was returned to the local inhabitants and is now used as a farmland. Next - Fort Ord


Balaclava Naval Base, Russia Balaclava Naval Base, Russia
  Balaclava Naval Base, Russia   Fort Ord, United States  
Fort Ord, United States Fort Ord, United States

Base Hetel - interactive map

Useful staff nearby

ATM bankomat: 'Tesco Express' located in 9 km ( check the route on the map).
Car rental office: 'ES Motorsport' is located in 7 km ( on the map).
Fuel station: 'Tesco Harford Bridge Superstore' in 7 km
Supermarket: 'Central England Co-operative Mulbarton food store' in 2.31 km
Parking: 'Long' Wood car park' in 2.23 km
Apotheek: 'Hurn' in 9 km
Police station: 'Wymondham Police Station' in 5 km
Cafe/restaurant: 'Bird in Hand' in 0.79 km
Railway station: 'Wymondham' in 5 km

Nearest airports:
 »  Norwich Airport NWI - in 14 km
 »  Lakenheath RAF Airport LKZ - in 46 km
 »  Marshall Cambridge Airport CBG - in 79 km
 »  Duxford Airport QFO - in 88 km
 »  Wyton Airport QUY - in 91 km
 Cities nearby

Best hotels near Base Hetel

Park Farm Hotel

Located in 4 km from Base Hetel
Route on the map:
Rooms: 53
All the bedrooms are individually decorated and many have views of the gardens. They all have a bathroom with a shower, a bath and a hairdryer while … More: photo, rates and booking
Tacolneston Retreat

Located in 6 km from Base Hetel
Route on the map:
Rooms: 3
All rooms at the Tacolneston Retreat feature a flat-screen TV and tea and coffee making facilities. 1 room has an en suite bathroom with a shower. … More: photo, rates and booking
Cringleford Guest House

Located in 7 km from Base Hetel
Route on the map:
Rooms: 7
All rooms at Cringleford Guest House feature a TV, a DVD player, tea/coffee making facilities and a desk. A breakfast buffet is available every … More: photo, rates and booking
"York Terrace, Apartment 3"

Located in 9 km from Base Hetel
Route on the map:
Rooms: 1
The property consists of an open plan, fully equipped kitchen with washing machine, and a seating area with a flat-screen HD TV. There is a separate, … More: photo, rates and booking

Nearest unique sightseeing spots to visit

Maunsell Sea Forts
75 km - Maunsell Sea Forts
The sea forts of Maunsell are one of the most unusual military installations, that are by fate in ruins. They were built during the Second World War at the mouth of the Mercy and Thames rivers. Already in the late 50-ies of the last century the structures were out of …
Ivy House
106 km - Ivy House
From the series 'Unique Living Houses'

This unique green house can be seen on one of the quiet streets of the British city of Chelmsford. There is a historical residence, better known to locals and tourists as the Ivy House. The peculiarity of this old building is that for decades it was completely …
Shell Grotto
129 km - Shell Grotto
The wonderful Shell Grotto has placed in Margate, Great Britain. There is no accurate date of the building and the original purpose of the Grotto. It was found accidentally by local, James Newlove, in 1835. He wanted to make an artificial pond at this place. During the …
St. John's Hospital
136 km - St. John's Hospital
Back o topic of abandoned hospitals, it’s certainly worth to mention St. John’s Hospital situated in Lincolnshire. It was opened in 1852. The hospital was initially focused on the mentally ill from the local poor. Obviously, local doctors didn’t even try to help …
ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower
139 km - ArcelorMittal Orbit Tower
One of the main and most original landmarks of the British capital is a lookout tower ArcelorMittal Orbit. The height of the tower, which looks more like a wonderful sculpture, is 115 meters. It is located on the territory of the Olympic Park. Construction of the tower …
Passive House The Muse
141 km - Passive House The Muse
There’s quite a unique park in London. It’s called The Muse. It has got the world fame not because of the variety of exotic plants and an impressive scale, and because of its unusual location. The park is set on a roof of the house with the same name. It is …

Top destination around Base Hetel - Norwich

Get an amazing experience visiting Pirates Island Adventure Golf - a nicely decorated complex providing mini-golf opportunities. Apart from the game, a great cafe serves delicious ice cream on site. Another amazing place for children is called Bounce Back Football. Here you can play bubble football and have a lot of fun charging yourself with positive energy for a long time. Children from 2 to 6 years old should certainly be taken to Twinkle's Town - here they will have the opportunity to try on "adult" roles - to be a firefighter, a policeman, as well as play with dolls and ride cars.

Norwich is a great place for those having a sweet tooth. A lot of cafes and restaurants serve great desserts here. So, if you want to treat your child with ice cream, go to Gelato or Sundaes Gelato, but if the child likes waffles more, there is no better place than Waffle House. Head to Biddy's Tea Room for fantastic pies, to Macarons & More for cakes, and to Figbar for incredibly delicious fruit desserts. One more is famous for wonderful pastries - this is about Patisserie Valerie.
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