Personnel 'furious' after MOD closes RAF's Halton House with half an hour's notice
RAF personnel have told BFBS Forces News they are "furious" that the MOD has permanently closed Halton House for military use.
The MOD says the iconic Grade II listed building – which was bought in the RAF's founding year of 1918 and subsequently became RAF Halton's officers' mess – is now "surplus to operational requirements".
We can reveal that officers are reported to have been given just half an hour's notice to leave Halton House in January 2025, following a structural survey which revealed the building was unsafe.
BFBS Forces News has obtained exclusive pictures and footage of Halton House, showing it is now completely fenced off.
Video footage taken the night before it was closed reveals the house set up for the filming of Season 4 of the Netflix series Bridgerton, which had been due to take place the following day.
The interiors of the Bridgerton's family home have always been filmed at Halton House and crews were returning to film their remaining continuity shots for the season, which is due to hit our screens imminently.
Half an hour to get out
We've heard accounts from several personnel about the final hours of Halton House. One agreed to speak to us on condition of anonymity because they said they've been told not to talk about this. They described the final hours before Halton House was shut.
"When it closed, Bridgerton still had outstanding filming to do, it was continuity filming... it basically closed the day before they went to start," one source said.
"It was all set up to film, they'd already come in to set it up, and they were not best pleased when they found out it was suddenly shut."
They continued: "Personnel were told the chimney was going to imminently collapse, so that's why it was closed initially," adding that they were given half an hour to leave the historic building.
Netflix and Shondaland, the production company that makes Bridgerton, have been contacted for comment but neither have responded so far.
We are furious
More than a year on, it's clear just how annoyed they are.
"We are angry on so many levels – we are furious. We love that place emotionally, because of the history, because of our experiences there, and because of what it represents to us and to the Royal Air Force.
"We've lost something we'll never get back and we're angry because of the lack of leadership and communication and sense of caring."
They continued: "All this erodes my sense of wanting to serve. There is so much anger over this.
"This isn't about officers losing a fancy mess. Away from the grandeur of the bits you see on TV, it was a hard place to live because it was so cold and such an old building, but it represents so much to so many and we are gutted it's no longer part of the Air Force."
Another officer said: "It's a huge shame that a site of such historical importance to the RAF and our national heritage has been neglected, allowing it to fall into its current condition.
"We can only hope that the future of Halton House results in its restoration to its former architectural glory."
Surplus to operational requirements
An MOD spokesperson told us: "Following a 2025 structural survey, Halton House remains closed to ensure the safety of our personnel while further structural assessments are conducted. Halton House is now surplus to operational requirements and will remain closed until an alternative occupier is found through the disposals process."
Personnel are questioning why the decision has been taken.
"When Trenchard established the Air Force, Halton was one of the three pillars of the RAF," one source said.
"There's a lot of history there, there's a lot of ethos. Two-thirds of the Air Force have been through RAF Halton. Halton House is the jewel in the crown."
They went on: "It's not just an officers' mess, it’s one of the few income generators that the Air Force has got."
"There are big companies investing a lot of money wanting to use this place. On top of that, it's not just accommodation, it's conference facilities, it's event spaces, a wedding reception space for personnel, so to treat it as just another disposal or just another mess, I think, is shortsighted, particularly when it was making so much money."
BFBS Forces News understands that with the loss of the officers' mess, many officers now have to live in transit accommodation.
In its statement to us, the MOD said: "We will continue to fulfil our responsibilities, working closely with the Local Authority and Historic England to conduct repairs and keep Halton House maintained and secured for its protection.
"Defence remains committed to a phased closure of RAF Halton as a whole, with a final vacation date no earlier than 2030."
They wouldn't comment on anything to do with the filming of Bridgerton, citing commercial confidentiality.
A coverup – or a necessary decision?
Questions are being raised by personnel about the condition of Halton House which has been fenced off for more than a year.
"I'm told it's decaying rapidly, peeling paint everywhere, damp coming through the walls, the paintings are still on the walls, very valuable paintings," one source said.
"All this history is under threat. They've just put a fence around it. It's horrendous.
"We are worried it will degrade to a point where it's just not saveable. I almost think that's what they want. I think the fact that we're not allowed to talk about it is because the wider community doesn't even realise what's happened.
"They're trying to keep this quiet."
Not everyone we spoke to felt the same.
Reacting to the news, a senior RAF source told us: "I've stayed at Halton House and it was pretty awful and cold.
"The closure can't be easy for personnel – I understand why they have such affection for it. It must be a sad old sight seeing it fenced off and it doesn't take long for nature to erode a place like that if it's been left for so long.
"But given the current climate, it wouldn't play well in terms of spending a lot of money on it, using taxpayers' money for this, when there are plenty of other priorities across defence. It's tough but it's the right thing to do."
Halton House is a Grade II listed building and as such requires special maintenance.
Works were carried out by Amey back in 2021 to renovate exterior sections of the lead guttering in the west wing, as well as a refurbishment of the famous glass dome and lantern roof over the main hallway and staircase.
It's not clear how much it would cost to fix the structural problems identified in the survey that led to its closure.
Halton House was originally completed in 1883 for the Rothschild family, before being purchased by the Air Ministry in 1918. Over the years, it has featured in several film and TV series including Evita, The World is Not Enough, The Crown and most recently, in Bridgerton.
What a mess
For anyone who's ever lived in a mess, you'll know it's where you form very unique bonds of friendships and professional relationships. It's not just a roof over your head.
It's clear just how much Halton House means to personnel and many who will be reading this news for the first time will no doubt be sad that they won't get the chance to grace its grand staircase one last time.
As for its future, it's unclear just how long Halton House will be fenced off for or whether any work has been done to protect it from the elements as it lies cold and empty. We will, of course, keep asking the MOD and tell you when we know more. But, from what they've told us, its military chapter is well and truly closed.
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