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The museum is situated in the village of North Weald at what was the main entrance to the former Royal Air Force North Weald fighter base. The station started military flight operations for the Royal Flying Corps in 1916 and Royal Air Force Operations finally stood down in 1958. The airfield remains in use as a civilian flying field.

                                                                Entrance To RAF North Weald 1927

The museum building was built in the early 20th Century as a private home later taken over by the military and subsequently used as the Station Office where many famous RAF commanders, Kings and political leaders passed through on visits.
















Ad Astra House 1952                                                             Ad Astra House 1964

Your first experience of the site will be the arc of Portland Stone encircling the Norwegian obelisk erected outside the museum as the RAF North Weald Memorial in 2000. The unique Obelisk was a gift to the people of the village in 1952 from the people of Norway. It was to show gratitude to the people of North Weald for their wartime association with the Royal Norwegian Air Force based there. The Memorial commemorates all those who gave their lives, the museum tells their stories. A bronze cabinet set into the stone wall contains a list of their names and is accessible even when the museum is closed.












                 Ad Astra House 1989                                                                         Ad Astra House 2010
On entering the museum you will find yourself in a reception area lit by a magnificent stained glass window commemorating all those who served at North Weald. This was installed in 2008.
On the ground floor and readily accessible to people with disabilities the collections are set out in five themed rooms and an interconnecting corridor. The story of much bravery, suffering and all that is best in the human spirit is told through a collection of images and artefacts in the four main exhibit rooms:

1916-1939 ‘The Wulstan Tempest Room’ [Great War and after]
1940 ‘The Victor Beamish Room’ [Battle of Britain]
1941-1945 ‘The Scott-Malden Room’ [The Allies]
1945-present ‘The Roger Topp Room’[The Jet Age]

In addition there is the ‘Blitz Room’ portraying the civilian war as experienced in the area during 1940-42.
















Princess Astrid of Norway unveiling the memorial stone outside Ad Astra House in 1952. Also present in the right hand picture is Wing Commander A. C. Deere, Station Commander of RAF North Weald at that time.