Cornwall at War Museum
The land was acquired in 1941 and a three-runway airfield with extensive dispersal areas was constructed in the first half of 1942. RAF Davidstow Moor closed in December 1945 at the end of World War II and many of the buildings including the hangars were soon removed. It became a motor racing circuit, known as Davidstow Circuit and in the early 1950s three Formula One races were held there (the Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Races) including the first success for the Lotus marque. Some of the airfield is currently used as a microlight club.
The Davistow Airfield and Cornwall at War Museum has been set up to commemorate the work and people of RAF Davidstow Moor. It is located next to a creamery where Davidstow and Cathedral City cheeses are produced. Many exhibits cover life in World War II in Cornwall, including other airfields along the North Cornwall coast, the Royal Navy, Army and civilian services, and life on the home front. Other exhibits include artefacts from the Royal Observer Corps and the Light Infantry, vehicles and weapons.
If you are interested in militaria or the social history of WW2 then there is much of interest, but this is a haphazard site and clearly run on a shoestring budget and relies on volunteers. Perhaps this is what makes it something different. I enjoyed the madness of it – summed up by the utter weirdness of the officer’s mess. I didn’t know whether to burst out laughing or run out screaming.
