Abandoned and overgrown: Photographer captures remarkable images of disused RAF base near York

It once reverberated to the engines of Spitfires and Hurricanes. But now much of RAF Church Fenton is empty and silent.

These eerie pictures were captured by a Yorkshire photographer turned urban explorer, who has been documenting abandoned ruins across the region through his Abandoned Yorkshire Explores website.

Urban exploring has become increasingly popular through photographically-led blog sites. Martin (he asked us not to give his full name) has photographed sites across Europe, but most are in Yorkshire.

From a Pontefract cinema to Leeds Girls School, his pictures paint a haunting image of nature reclaiming back buildings we have left for dead.

One of his latest expeditions was to the disused part of the former RAF Church Fenton airbase, a few miles south of York. What he found was a massively overgrown jungle hiding the old buildings, including the “highlight [which] was the huge water tower with a great view from the roof!”

The airfield was opened in April 1937, as the air force was being expanded in response to the growing threat from Hitler.

During the war Church Fenton was home to a night-flight training unit. Later it hosted RAF squadrons which carried out offensive sorties over Northern Europe.

In peacetime the RAF used it as a training base, and it closed in 2013. You can read more about its history on this excellent website.

Meanwhile, have a look at Martin’s pictures below and visit his blog page for more.