History

City & Country Group has acquired the domestic site associated with the former RAF Bicester.  The history of Bicester is fascinating and particularly important for military aviation heritage.  Bicester is the best preserved example of the bomber bases constructed as the principal arm of Sir High Trenchard’s expansion of the RAF from 1923, which was based on the philosophy of offensive defence. The grass flying field still survives with its 1939 boundaries largely intact, bounded by a group of bomb stores built in 1938/9 and airfield defences built in the early stages of the Second World War.

All of the air stations were planned in accordance with Trenchard’s requirements that the fabric must be dispersed against attack and in all cases the technical sites were separated from the domestic site with its barracks, institute & mess.

The fabric and layout retains an identifiable 1920’s character and provides examples of the first permanent buildings erected for RAF operational stations.  The most prominent technical buildings most notably the guardroom and station headquarters and the buildings on the domestic site were designed in a simple astylar, Neo-Georgian style. 

1938 was marked by the arrival of Blenheim Bombers and in October 1939 the first Halifax prototype made its maiden voyage from Bicester. From 1938 to 1944 Bicester served as an Operational Training Unit mainly for the training of pilots, observers and gunners for the Blenheim crews of 2 Group.

After 1945, 71 Maintenance Unit formed at Bicester as one of the principal aircraft salvage units, responsible for southern England.

Conservation Area Status 

In 2002 Cherwell District Council designated RAF Bicester as a conservation area including all of the domestic site as well as the technical site and the airfield.

The Domestic Site

The layout of the domestic site is dominated by the former parade ground which is oriented almost due south and is framed by the key domestic buildings. The married quarters on the domestic site like other sites of the type drew its influences from the Garden City Movement of the 1930’s built of brick with roughcast rendered external elevations and hipped roofs. The domestic site was an important and integral part of the station and today 18 of the buildings have been listed at Grade II as a result of English Heritage’s thematic review of military aviation.  These include:

• The Officers Mess and Quarters
• Dining Room and Institute
• Barrack Block
• Dining Room and Cookhouse

Landscaping

The planting of trees on airfields was a significant element in their overall design, their principal role being to break up the appearance of the site as seen from the air and thus assist in the fundamental principal of dispersal.  The many semi-mature trees; Birch, Horse Chestnut and Maple make a significant contribution to its campus-like appearance.