Wiltshire Tourist Guide

Bed and Breakfast near Boscombe Down - Wiltshire

Bed and Breakfast near Boscombe Down
If you are looking for Bed and breakfast near Boscombe Down you will find it at the nearby towns of Amesbury, Salisbury and villages around the establishment.

Accommodation at Amesbury | Salisbury

Bed and breakfast is also to be found at Shrewton which lies close to Stonehenge and along the A345 Amesbury to Pewsey road. B&Bs; include Fairlawn House in the centre of Amesbury, a long established well visited family run bed and breakfast owned by Tracey and Keith Pullen who are well used to catering for business visitors. Another friendly B&B; where you can be sure of a warm welcome which is just off the Pewsey road at Haxton is The Old Post Office. In Shrewton, close to Stonehenge is the four-star quality Rollestone Manor Owners Paula and Cyrille Portier offer luxury Silver Award bed and breakfast accommodation with an excellent restaurant offering evening meals.

Boscombe Down is now managed by QinetiQ having previously been operated and managed by the UK government.

The establishment has a long history of experimental flying and saw some of the momentous pioneering aviation developments during the last century of flying.



Salisbury Plain was the birth place of UK military aviation during the early part of the last century when flying progressed from being an adjunct of the Army perceived as a useful reconnaissance tool using ‘lighter than air’ balloons to become the Royal Air force, an independent branch of aerial warfare, in 1918. The very first airfield took the form a few huts and a flimsy selection of aircraft at Larkhill in 1910 where civilian flying tuition was available. By 1914 a purpose built military aerodrome was built close to Stonehenge.

In 1918 the Royal Air Force was established and the earliest aerodromes were at Upavon, Netheravon and Old Sarum. These airfields still function but have had a succession of occupants over the years.

Initially flying developments and testing was mainly concentrated at Upavon when the combined services ‘tried out’ new ideas such as bomb aiming devices prior to the birth of the R.A.F when the airfield then became home to RAF Central Flying School.

In 1917 the Aeroplane Experimental Unit of the Royal Flying Corps moved from Upavon to Martlesham Heath in Sussex which became known as the Aeroplane Experimental Station later changed to Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment (A&AEE;) in 1924.

Evaluation and testing of aircraft that were to be used in World War II continued until 9th September 1939 when owing to its vulnerability it was moved to Boscombe Down. A period of rapid expansion ensued but test flying operations at other stations, noticeably Farnborough, Bedford and Llanbedr in Wales were consolidated into DTEO then DERA and moved to Boscombe Down in the 1990’s.

Following privatisation the site is now managed by QinetiQ. Boscombe Down is renowned as the home of the Empire Test Pilots School (ETPS) where test pilots and engineers from all over the world are trained.



For those interested the Boscombe Down flying collection has very recently moved from the establishment into new hangar accommodation at Old Sarum (another historic airfield just outside Salisbury operating private aircraft and offering flying tuition). The museum is open only at weekends during the winter months and daily apart from Tuesdays in the summer months. You are advised to contact the museum tel. (+44)) 1722 323626 for further details.

If you decide to use a bed and breakfast near Boscombe Down you will have a unique opportunity to have a look round what is a fascinating area of England with both modern and ancient history appearing at every turn. Notably the area around Stonehenge and the beautiful cathedral city of Salisbury are both not far from the airbase.

Bed and Breakfast near Boscombe Down