Turning a former RAF bomber control tower into a dream home

A British Army veteran and his wife are transforming a former RAF control tower into their dream home. 

The tower was one of only four of its kind to be built and is situated on the former RAF West Raynham station in Norfolk, now a residential and business park.

It was left derelict for 25 years, but now, four years into the project, REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) veteran Jon Booty and his wife Shelly are confident they can turn the 32 rooms into a home.

They're also planning to open up the ground floor as a heritage centre to the public, displaying memorabilia from the past. 

Ms Booty said the large-scale project has quickly "taken over" their lives but that it is the "best thing" she has done. 

"It [the project] wasn't planned, really," Mr Booty said.

"It was probably down to a couple of glasses of wine and watching a TV property show and I think, at the time, I said if I was going to do something I'd do a control tower."

RAF West Raynham has played a big role in Mr Booty's life – his father was an airman at the base and the family lived at the station's married quarters. 

"Our attitude is not converting this into a house, but making a home in the control tower," he said. 

Veterans who served at the base have been helping with the project and are also sharing their stories with the couple.

Mr Booty said: "As somebody who is ex-forces, I appreciate the memories that you cling onto and the associations you make with the location.

"It's so sad when I look back during my REME days at the Prince Philip barracks... that's now vanished."

Ms Booty said: "I find the most exciting thing about what we are doing is when we get the service personnel come round to have a look, you get their stories, the way their faces light up when they come to have a look around.

"It's like they're reliving their youth again."

A hive of activity 75 years ago, RAF West Raynham was built between 1938 and 1939 and became a major operations base for RAF missions during the Second World War and the Cold War.

From 1945 to 1962, it served as the RAF's Central Fighter Establishment where new UK fighter aircraft were evaluated.

Flying stopped at West Raynham in 1976 but it remained open as a missile-only station, operating Bloodhound surface to air missiles until 1991.

The base closed in 1994 but was retained by the Ministry of Defence (MOD) as a strategic reserve.

After the site had been derelict for more than a decade, the MOD sold it to housing developers in 2006, who sold it on a year later.

The heritage floor being created by Mr and Ms Booty is due to open in September, however, the journey in turning the tower into their dream home is expected to take a little longer.