£1m spent restoring Battle of Britain airfield
By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter
More than £1m has been spent restoring a Battle of Britain airfield in Croydon.
During the Battle of Britain, Kenley Airfield was tasked with the defence of London against the Luftwaffe.
It was the station of the Royal Flying Corps in the First World War, and the Royal Air Force (RAF) in the Second World War.
A project to review the airfield started in 2016 between the City of London Corporation, Kenley Airfield Friends Group, Historic England and the Kenley Revival Project.
The £1.2m, six-year project included refurbishing eight fighter jet pens which protected Spitfires and Hurricanes from attack.
It was funded through an £881,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, alongside £100,000 from the City Corporation, with the remainder funded by Historic England and donations from locals.
During the work, more than 200 people took part in community archaeology digs that uncovered gun emplacements, a dispersal hut, part of a Junkers JU88 bomber and pottery fragments.
The site includes The Kenley Tribute, which commemorates those that served there between 1917 and 1959.
The City Corporation manages Kenley Common, which surrounds Kenley Airfield.
Kenley Common is a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation for its grassland habitats and is part of the South London Downs National Nature Reserve.
Pictured top: The new memorial at Kenley Airfield with the jet pens behind (Picture: City of London Corporation)
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