Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome

Visit the UK’s best-preserved World War One aerodrome.

Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome, near Chelmsford in Essex, is the largest surviving group of RFC buildings from a WW1 aerodrome in Europe. Opened in 1916 for No. 37 (HD) Squadron, it played a key role defending against Zeppelin and Gotha raids and in the 1917 Battle for Britain, flying operationally through the RFC’s transition to the RAF before closing in 1919 and reverting to farmland.

Left undisturbed, the site became ecologically significant — its 93-acre conservation zone, run with Natural England, the Woodland Trust and Essex Wildlife Trust, now supports brown hare, corn bunting, yellowhammer, raptors, water voles and badgers. Designated a conservation area in 2009 and Grade II* listed in 2012, it was acquired for the nation in 2013 by the charity Stow Maries Great War Aerodrome Ltd, backed by Essex County and Maldon District Councils and a Heritage Memorial Fund grant.

Today it’s a volunteer-run, Arts Council-accredited museum and aerodrome with galleries, a café, a retail space and award-winning exhibitions covering the RFC/RAF story, including the often-overlooked contributions of women. It holds strong partnerships with the Imperial War Museums, the RAF Museum, Historic England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Pilgrim Trust and the Association of Independent Museums.