Scampton – RAF Heritage and Historic Church Art

Scampton can be explored through various historical traces: church architecture, RAF heritage and a war graves area each give the village a distinct focus. The landscape also provides a sense of place. Before your trip, you can consider which aspects interest you most and understand Scampton as a destination through its history.

Scampton between landscape and history

Scampton lies on the Lincolnshire Edge, a limestone escarpment that stretches from Grantham to the Humber. The village is therefore part of a landscape whose geological line extends far beyond the immediate area. The landscape offers another perspective on Scampton: alongside its buildings and memorial sites, the distinctive regional landscape also provides a backdrop.

RAF Scampton and its hangars

Hangars 1–4 at RAF Scampton were built in 1936–1937 to designs by J. H. Binge of the Air Ministry’s Directorate of Works and Buildings. They consist of four large halls. At both ends of each hall are continuous steel doors that extend to the full height. The number of halls, their construction dates and their design describe the site in specific terms without conflating the individual buildings.

RAF Scampton opened in the 1930s, so the hangars were built in the same decade. During the Second World War, the station was the base of 617 Squadron. Together, these dates illustrate different periods in Scampton’s RAF history: the station’s opening, the construction of the hangars and the later wartime period. This timeline provides a clear framework if you are interested in the village’s military history.

St John the Baptist: architecture and remembrance

St John the Baptist can also be dated through several architectural features. The church has a 14th-century bell tower and a 16th-century chancel arch. There is also a north arcade with octagonal, or eight-sided, piers. The tower, chancel arch and arcade represent different parts of the church’s architecture and make the building another focal point in the village’s history.

Two stained-glass windows in St John the Baptist were created by Claire Williamson. They are dedicated to the region’s RAF heritage and 617 Squadron. In this way, the church takes up a theme that also features in the history of RAF Scampton. The windows bring this dedication together with a distinctive element of the church’s furnishings.

Commonwealth war and service graves at Scampton Church are arranged in two areas connected by a footpath. Those represented there include members of the Royal Air Force, the Royal Canadian Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force and the German Luftwaffe. These different affiliations give the memorial site an international dimension. Hundreds of visitors come each year, walk between the rows of gravestones and read the names.

Scampton Church is also on the West Lindsey Aviation Heritage Trail. Together with the graves and the two windows dedicated to the RAF, the church brings remembrance and aviation history together in a distinctive way. If you are more interested in church architecture, the bell tower, chancel arch and arcade offer a different perspective on the same place from the memorials to 617 Squadron.

Other historical traces and planning your visit

Among the surviving remains of Scampton Hall is an ornate stone archway dating from the early 17th century. Alongside the hangars and the church, it marks another historical trace in Scampton. This means there is more than one theme to consider when choosing a destination: architecture, military history and remembrance each have their own distinct features.

St John the Baptist is open to visitors daily from 10 am to 4 pm. If you are planning a visit to the church specifically, please check the opening information before your trip. Discover more destinations: Great Carlton, Waddington, Ulceby, Brigg, Carlton-le-Moorland, Sudbrooke, Hemingby, Swineshead.

For the wider travel overview: Lincolnshire.