Biggin Hill RAF Museum and Chapel & Airport

Biggin Hill RAF Chapel (Museum to the left)

Biggin Hill RAF Museum isn't easy to get to without transport unless you live nearby. There is a bus stop outside, but coming from London I have no idea where you pick it up. However, luck would have that I have a friend who lives close by, and this was her suggestion. So, I took the tram from Wimbledon and she picked me up the other side of Croydon and we drove there. (I have since found out you can get buses from Bromley South station...buses 320 and 246, running every 20 mins).

We first headed to the cafe (ever thinking about food!). The Nightingale cafe is named after an original cafe on the Biggin Hill south camp which had stood there since the First World War. We had a lovely lunch there before heading into the museum. Biggin Hill played a major role in the Second World war and it tells the story of the people, planes and the area around the airfield through artifacts, photos, testimonies and film. This is a newish museum, replacing the older one, my friend told me.

Seat by the cafe

Somewhere on this map the original Nightingale Cafe is situated (South Camp)

Morse Code

The current exhibition in the room behind the chapel Women & War - Hidden Heroes of WWII which is really interesting, and through out the museum is Finding Ivy, about Ivy Angerer and twelve other British born people who back in Germany were deemed disabled by the Nazi's one way or another (mental health figured highly) and 'died' in hospital. Very heart-moving stories.

Anderson Shelter

Ejector seat anyone?

The chapel was built in 1951 as a chapel of remembrance. It holds regular weekly services. It is large and quite beautiful, but unfortunately no photography is allowed. There is also a garden of remembrance.

Some of these windows (found in the Women & War exibitions) are also seen in the Chapel

Women & War

On leaving I admired the two Spitfires placed by the entrance to the whole complex, then persuaded my friend to drive us next door to the airport because I wanted to get a look at the planes!

There is also a cafe there right by the airfield, so we bought tea and a shared slice of cake, and found a table by the window. There is also an outside part to the cafe, and it wasn't long before I headed outside to watch an aircraft take off. I don't know what it is about travelling that makes my heart flutter, but the roar of the aircraft just did something to me....dare I say I found it moving, even spiritual. I was clearly as excited as the little boy with his mum. I know flying is bad for the environment, but gosh the buzz I get from airports and watching the planes is crazy! 

Biggin Hill |Airport

Plane taking off

I dragged myself away from the wire fence back to my tea and cake and the friend I had abandoned. A very different kind of day.