Wiltshire Tourist Guide

Bed and breakfast near Netheravon - Wiltshire

Bed and breakfast near Netheravon airfield is available in Haxton, Netheravon and other villages along the Avon and in the centres of Amesbury and Salisbury.

Accommodation in Amesbury | Salisbury

Very close to Netheravon in the village of Haxton is the The Old Post Office , a luxury family run B&B.; Further away you might like to try Fairlawn House , a long established family business in the heart of Amesbury and close to Stonehenge where you will sure of a warm welcome catering for a wide range of visitors from those just passing through, short stays, long stays or on business.

Within easy reach of Netheravon we have several bed and breakfast establishments in the villages of Shrewton which is close and just to the west of Stonehenge and Winterbourne Stoke on the main A303 London to Exeter route , all offering quality B&B; at good rates.

Netheravon lies in an area of historical interest both ancient and modern. The estate was one of two important Saxon estates on the river Avon. Upavon was the upper and Netheravon the lower.



The Wiltshire River Avon offers some of the finest chalk river trout fishing in England particularly around this area. Frank Sawyer, author and the inventor of the Pheasant Tail Nymph, claimed to be the most successful trout fly pattern in the world, was the riverkeeper along this six mile stretch.

Netheravon has always had close links with the villages of Haxton and Fittleton on the eastern side of the river especially from the 18th century and the bridge to Haxton has existed from at least the Middle Ages.

The airfield constructed in June 1913 is the oldest military airfield in continuous operation. The aerodrome was first used for balloon operations and then by Royal Flying Corps flying fixed wing aeroplanes. Initially at the beginning of World War I flying squadrons were formed there prior to being sent to France and then the base reverted to training replacement pilots.



In 1918 the Royal Air Force was founded by combining the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Naval Air Service.

After the Great War ended many squadrons were disbanded at Netheravon and No.1 Flying Training School was established in 1918 and although it moved to Leuchars in Scotland it returned a few years later. Between the wars Netheravon continued as an active airfield with several squadrons based there during which time aircraft altitude and parachute jump records were broken. At the start of the Second World War flying training continued apace but in 1941 parachute and glider training took over. Prior to this time the fledgling Airborne Force Units had been scattered around the country.



Netheravon then became the designated centre for training co-ordinating these airborne forces. Parachute Brigade HQ was based at nearby Bulford and some of these specialist Airborne Forces were trained as pilots for the troop carrying gliders. The soldier pilots were not only trained to fly and land the gliders but once they had landed they picked up their weapons and joined the battle.

As the concept of landing troops by glider and parachute progressed Netheravon became increasingly responsible for training and executing raids, some highly successful some not, into enemy territories culminating in the preparation for Operation Overlord and the D-day landings. At its peak there were over 250 aircraft and 2500 troops involved in some of the Airborne Forces training exercises.

Although no missions departed from Netheravon airfield itself the RAF Netheravon played the pivotal role of training, executing and supporting major Allied Airborne Forces’ operations into the landing zones of mainland Europe throughout the summer of 1944. The Rhine crossing was the last of the major airborne force wartime operations. After the war ended operations were wound down at Netheravon and the last R.A.F flying units were disbanded in 1950. The station became the depot for the RAF police and police dog handling. The RAF finally departed in 1963.

The station was handed over to the Army and used by the Army Free Fall Parachute Association, the Southern Command Gliding Club and the Royal Artillery Flying Club. Netheravon is now one of the major free fall parachuting and skydiving centres of Europe.



In 1966 the Army Air Corps returned to Netheravon to operate helicopters. AAC 7 Regt(V) operated helicopters at the airfield from 1995 to 2009 when they transferred Middle Wallop. The airfield is now mainly used as a parachute centre on weekdays for the Joint Service Parachute Centre and at the weekends for the Army Parachute Association.

If you are just visiting the area or doing some parachuting and are looking for bed and breakfast near Netheravon please follow the link below

Bed and Breakfast near Netheravon