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Greenham Common served as a US Army Air Forces and later US Air Force airfield from the Second World War onwards, becoming synonymous with the Cold War. Between 1982 and 1991, it was home to the US Air Force’s 501st Tactical Missile Wing, which operated 96 Ground Launched Cruise Missiles. The base also became internationally known for the Greenham Common Women’s Peace Camp and its anti-nuclear protests.
Today, few buildings from the former airbase remain. Greenham Control Tower is the only building open to the public as a visitor centre. As part of Heritage Open Days, the charity that operates Greenham Control Tower has been granted special permission to open the Decontamination Suite within Building 274, offering visitors a rare opportunity to explore an area that is not usually accessible.
Normally closed to the public, this remarkable facility is attached to the former command centre of the 501st Tactical Missile Wing. Built with blast-resistant reinforced concrete and heavy blast doors, it was designed to protect personnel in the event of a chemical attack. The building also featured self-contained air, water and sanitation systems, allowing it to remain operational during an emergency.
Join our expert guides for a rare opportunity to explore this fascinating Cold War facility and discover the history of a site that played an important part of Greenham Common’s history.
Most of the old buildings from the former Greenham Common Air Base have been cleared and part has been transformed into a business park whilst the runway and surrounding area turned back into common land.
One building still standing is the Decontamination Suite. It’s opened up one weekend a year as part of the Heritage Open Days. This was the first year the weekend co-incided with a free weekend. Callum came back from uni to visit with us.
We wove our way around the Business Park; it was close to the English Provender Company and DVLA Test Centre to the car park. The building is quite non-descript and you wouldn’t really know it was there or what it was used for!
A small queue when we arrived as you are taken around in small groups of 10. Good to see the opening had attracted good numbers. We first received a safety briefing (watch your footing, don’t wander off) and then listened to a US Vet who’d worked on the base as part of the 501st Regiment based there. He gave an insight of his time here and the various structures that survived. We learnt the old missile silos area (used a back drop on the Star Wars films) was called GAMA Site. Now available for storage, film locations and events!
On the tour, you were taken around the building as a soldier would when he entered to be decontaminated. First, scrubbing off the boots and outerwear, neutralising equipment that couldn’t be washed, the checks and measures in every room to ensure any contamination was not spread beyond the doors, then onto the various rooms where you removed your clothes, showered and redressed.
The control room operations board was still seemingly working.
The final room was the plant room. Everything had been doubled up so they were covered in the event of failure. There was a bank of oxygen so in the event the site was hit by a chemical weapons attack, the building could be sealed and oxygen pumped around which would keep the place running for 2 hours.
The doors sealing the decontamination suite are really thick and heavy.
A really interesting tour and glad we finally got to see inside and learn more about the history of the base.
Just outside, there is art installation entitled “Changes”. Designed by Icelandic artist, Gudrun Neilsen, it serves as a visual marker celebrating the transformation of the RAF Greenham Common and US Military Nuclear Missile base into a peaceful business park and nature reserve.
The sculptures mimic the precise folds of paper origami to represent the chronological creation and dismantling of a fighter plane. The central piece in the series most clearly resembles a complete aircraft.
After touring the base, we visited to the Greenham Peace Garden. A memorial site was built on site after the airbase closed in September 2000 to commemorate the role of the Greenham Peace Women. It’s a quiet reflective space situated at the historic Yellow Gate entrance to the former airbase.
In 1981 a Welsh group of 36 individuals (mostly women) marched from Cardiff to the Greenham military airbase to protest against NATO’s decision to place 96 US cruise missiles there.
They remained on site until 2000 when the airbase was closed.
The Peace Garden features a flame sculpture (representing the camp fire which was essential for survival and comfort) encircled by seven Standing stones which came from Wales. This is a poignant reference to the march from Cardiff to Greenham Common that started the camp.
Autumn crocuses were blooming around the garden. Jon looked them up and it turns out they are highly poisonous. Surprised there were no signs as any young kids entering the garden would be tempted to pick them!
