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Name:Wattisham Airfield
Hill number:5473
Height:92m / 302ft
Parent (Ma):2874  Wendover Woods [Haddington Hill]
RHB Section:39: Central and Eastern England
County/UA:Suffolk
County (CoH):Suffolk, East (CoH)
Catchment:Minor Rivers only (South)
Class:Historic County Top
(CoH)
Grid ref:TM029512 (est)
Drop:2m
Col:90m  TM023500  
OS map sheet(s):(1:50k) 155
(1:25k) 211E
Comments:Relocated from TM023501 March 2017 on LIDAR evidence
Change log:show changes for this hill entry
Notes:
  • Suffolk, East historic county top

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N.B. Some hill summits are on private property or on land where there is no public right of way.  Permission should be sought from the landowner where access to a hill summit is through private land.
Please report via the contact page any logs you see below which describe or encourage acts of trespass.  Please quote the hill number and hill name.

Logged Descriptions  (logged by 88 users, only the latest 50 shown - Show all)ByDate of Ascent
Combined with a visit to Wattisham Station Heritage Museum. The drive to the Hardened Aircraft Shelter takes you above the summit ring contour and as close to the top as most people are able to go.salen06/08/2023
As RHW. Booked on-line for a visit. Interesting museum. And if Rob counts it as bagged, then so do I.PGCE07/05/2023
Parked on chestnut avenue and had a wander about.catie22/04/2023
Just near the gate on a divert from the River Gippings Valley Walk via Needham Market: ten miles in total. I thought it was prudent not to hang aboutPhilipChaston23/01/2023
Wattisham Airfield from GR: TM 03340 51157ronaldo33304/05/2022
Went to Great Bricett entrance first and walked southwest by security fence (the strip alongside the fence is cleared of vegetation) to high point near TM 0308 5103 (inside the 90m contour), then went to Nedging Tye and walked east to fence high point at TM 0260 5027AlanD13/11/2021
Folowing great Dinner in Cambridge drove East before heading back to Manchester: Only got to Enbtrance to Gate 1GordonAdshead07/11/2021
A very long, hot day in the saddle and you can only get close to the summit due to the razor wire round the land.pclyndes13/06/2021
Wandered about near fence for a bit. Didn't seem to provoke any interest from chaps with guns.squeegs06/06/2021
Parked in Pound Hill. Saw what looked like the top in the distance through the fence.edmundjohnson12/10/2020
1 of 2 on 55 mile bike ride starting in bury st Edmunds. Plenty of guards around with machine guns so couldn’t get through Roman road. Still bagging itThe-Z-Man12/03/2020
Parked near gates and walked to security fence.dgresty10/02/2020
cold,wet June day. Did a U-turn at the entrance to the Base (a guard looked interested for two seconds and went back to his box.) Went to stare through perimeter fence round the corner.KC13/06/2019
Heritage Museum open 1st Sunday of month in summer (need to book 3 days ahead) - www.wattishamstationheritage.org/ As part of this you get to visit the hardened shelter at far W side of site, which has Hunter (beautifully restored) and Phantom fighters and Lynx, Gazelle and old Scout copters. En route, passed within 100m of the Lidar summit; we were level with it at one point on raised section of road. Head-over-summit rule easily satisfied. And a fascinating place to visit.RHW07/04/2019
Not quite a summitkjg10631/03/2019
Alan and LindaGlenford31/12/2018
I'm not really sure I should claim this one but a lot of other people have done. A long drive just to look at armed guards at a security barrier. The highest point seems to be inside near RAF housing. I shall return if anyone can publish how to arrange permission for admission. Is this really an Historic County Top anyway?Dangerous Dave13/10/2018
walk from Offton. As near as possible. Chaps with rifles looking threatening!callumorr07/05/2018
From Crowcoft Rd. Parked near Gate 2 and paced up and down the impressive security fence to nearest point. Very unexciting.Campbell Singer29/03/2018
Close as legally accessible. Followed perimeter fence as previous posters. Nothing natural appeared higher inside the fence, all pretty flat, and/or heavily landscaped. Nobody at gate to even ask permission of, but lots of warning signs, none on the fence path however.Nomad Perkins08/11/2017
As close as you can get to the perimeterSwindon Bagger24/08/2017
TD, C & H.This Dog07/08/2017
County top outing, closest I could get was TM029 052 which was a strip of grass behind children's play area left of the guards gate at entrance one. Then went round to entrance two and followed the fence to get as close as possible to the tumulus which might be a fuel dump.WAYNE ROWLETT29/05/2017
Circular walk from Great Bricett. Got as close as I could so I will claim it unless things change.Fred Windsor25/04/2017
As we were passing through Suffolk to Norfolk we drove to the front of base and away again. Probably best not to take photos of military bases, so I didnt. Front gate is as near to the top as I'm prepared to go, so that will have to do.keithelliott22/04/2017
First to Gt Bricett for the NE summit, apparently 0.6m higher than SW summit: Lidar suggests 91.6m at TM 02945 51273, due W of guarded gate, closest I got was c87m, 4m below summit. Possible to access housing N side of road but that gets you no higher or nearer. Then to N end of Crowcroft Rd for the SW summit, walked short way N towards gate then followed muddy path round outside of perimeter fence (fence HP is at TM 02581 50267 overtopped by 2m bank). So called tumulus presumably a concrete structure with grassy sides, 6m high, built on a ground little lower than natural HP. Continued NE to another gate, from here natural HP visible in grass or woodland 60m WNW and c0.5m higher than fence - 1m lidar suggests 91.0m on lawn at at TM 02575 50322, about same in wood. Back via field edge & track to S end of Crowcroft Rd past the ex trig bolt site. This is my last UK Co HP of any description. 2/4/17 called in at Gt Bricett gate but was denied access - maybe possible by appointment althoughRHW04/03/2017
Got a view through the fence of the tumulus or storage hump.Dugswell230/08/2016
Took the well worn track along the perimeter fence to as close as one is able to get to the supposed HP. Quite possible I've been there as my Uncle John was Officers' Mess Manager at RAF Wattisham (as it was) for many years and he took me in there on occasion for a drive round. One of the camps never visited during my 38 years in the RAF.jonglew31/07/2016
Parked at end of road before gate to the west, then walked along the security fence almost to Park Wood. Only one tumulus like structure now exists which is obviously man made. Highest natural ground would appear to have been where the western tumulus was marked on the OS map.Fisky Boy21/05/2016
With Fisky Boy.Brenda Cloke21/05/2016
6/9 Hill bagging day consisting of current and historical county tops (Staverton Clump/boring Filed/Haddenham Village/Pinchebeck Marsh/Beacon Hill/Wattisham Airfield/Great Wood/Bushey Heath/Hampstead Heath)Fergalh13/02/2016
Sun sets and now it is really freezing. Walked along the access track for the fuel store and then round to the security fence close to the summit. The OS map shows two tumuli - but the western one is no longer there. Closest approach - about 50mM3WDD22/11/2015
At guard Room I Asked Staff Sergeant to get one of minions to escort me to point. No joy had to get near it from our side of the fence.maltose24/07/2015
Visited on the way to Norfolk. Got as close as I could.magirob23/06/2015
I was lucky with this one. I had reason to be on the base and so managed to bag this hill.Meanderer14/03/2015
625 yards along beside the security fence is the closest you can get. The possible alternative is protected by armed guards.Newton Maximus20/11/2014
If Carlsberg did tops it definitely would not be like this. Probably the biggest feeling of anti-climax on reaching a county top, especially as it is the closest peak to where I live (a) because you cannot visit it as it is on the wrong side of a fence on MOD land (b) the designated summit looks suspiciously man made. To me the high point looked like it was behind in Park Wood, again on MoD land.mntainman18/04/2014
Up the side of the security fence. Took a little while to find the path - it's behind the bushes by the green space after the last house at the top of the road to the west.simon and co25/03/2014
Walked along the muddy path and peered through the security fence at what we presume is the top - the area around the building and the tumulus.bolton28/01/2014
Parked at the end of Crowcroft Road close to Crash Gate 5 (signposted as Gate 2) – Walked alongside the Airfield boundary fence for about 300m and viewed the tumulus-like structure. (PM)gerrybowes28/01/2014
Not a real old county top - Suffolk was never split in two (or Sussex). But pressed nose to the fence with Dad, Anna and Marie. Cod and chips at the Eels Foot in Eastbridge on the Suffolk coast, a much better destination! One of the very few disappointing tops to visit!mcf01/09/2013
Top No 23. Train to Bury St Edmunds and bus to Lavenham; walk via Hitcham to Wattisham Airfield (south gate), then on to Needham Market via Willisham Tye. A lovely warm sunny day, with strong southerly breeze in exposed places. Distance 16.9 miles, climb 842 feet, time 5:34alan.65to7015/04/2013
Stowmarket to Hadleigh: Followed well trodden perimeter trail from Roman Road to the silo viewing point - very mucky in places - before investigating the trig location just to the S. Also checked out the former youth hostel (mill) I recall staying in once.Smudge09/02/2013
Followed same route as Des, i.e. parked at end of road and walked fenceline which was fine. Long dry grass. In wet or heavy dew would be more difficult. The hump is man-made - its a resevoir or fuel storage I think. 20 meters further along fence has another hump inside fenceline but this may also be man-made?Father Ted17/06/2012
Cycled from the West Suffolk top. It would take a brave walker to climb the fence and bag this one...Richard02/07/2011
Parked at end of road to W. Followed airport fence (not water board one)to 49m from top. Not as bad as expected. path quite well trod.destaylor27/05/2011
Stood next to the fence, not much to see. Compare todays view on Google Earth with the 1945 aerial shots!Nick15/04/2011
seen through fenceCoxswain15/05/2010
Pointless!Overthehilljill02/09/2009
Detour on return from Motorcycle trip to Somme battlefields. Thought military connections apposite. Pressed nose to wire fence near gate.martin & storm10/04/2008