Woodhall Spa Airfield was constructed on former farmland as a satellite station to RAF Coningsby and opened in February 1942. It was home to several RAF squadrons during the Second World War, including 617 ‘Dambusters’ Squadron, which used the ‘bouncing bomb’ developed by Barnes Wallis to destroy three major dams in the Ruhr. The site was later a sand and gravel quarry. The Trust concluded the final phase of its purchase on 19 September 2014, supported by £450,000 from WREN’s Biodiversity Action Fund and a £100,000 legacy. The reserve has sandy soils, acid grassland, heathland and open water.
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