CRANWELL

Cranwell is a village in mid Lincolnshire that became famous for the RAF College built to the west and two associated airfields. The northern airfield is the older example and remains as a grassed field used occasionally by gliders and light aircraft. The southern airfield is much larger with paved runways and abuts the A17 road. The RAF college still trains aircrew and others for the British and some foreign air forces. It's most famous graduate was Sir Frank Whittle. It's symmetrical classical architecture remains a potent symbol for the Royal Air Force.

The hamlet of Byard's Leap stands to the west of the larger airfield and is in the same parish - Cranwell and Byard's Leap - within North Kesteven District.

An independent heritage centre telling the story of RAF Cranwell may be visited near the village of North Rauceby, to the south east of the larger airfield. In the early days of operations airships were based at Cranwell. More recently it has provided a home for the Red Arrows aerobatic display team, another famous symbol of the RAF.