Biggin Hill – RAF history, museum and Spitfires

Biggin Hill reveals a special side of London: here, aviation history, memorial sites and practical experiences around the airport come together. During your stay, you can visit historic facilities, learn about the collection at the RAF Biggin Hill Museum & Chapel, observe Spitfire restoration work or follow a 1.6-mile circular route.

Fighter Dispersal Pens and the history of the Battle of Britain

Among the most distinctive historic traces are the three Fighter Dispersal Pens at Biggin Hill Airport. They were built around 1939 to protect aircraft from air attacks. The facilities are of the early E-type. Surviving pens at former RAF airfields are considered rare nationwide; the southern pen is an exceptionally well-preserved example. At the same time, the Fighter Dispersal Pens were important operational structures at the most famous fighter station of the Battle of Britain in Biggin Hill.

The Biggin Hill Sector was an important part of 11 Group of Fighter Command, which defended London and southeast England. During the Battle of Britain, more than 1,000 sorties took off from the station and returned there. This historical context makes the pens and the other memorial sites particularly interesting if you want to understand not only individual exhibits but also the former military context.

Museum, chapel and personal memories

Visits to the RAF Biggin Hill Museum & Chapel are self-guided. A Discovery Tablet is available for this purpose; it is in English and included in the admission price. The collection is directly connected to the people who served at RAF Biggin Hill station. The holdings include uniforms, medals, personal letters and documents.

In St George’s RAF Chapel, the Book of Remembrance preserves the names of 454 crew members who died on flights from the Biggin Hill Sector. The Garden of Remembrance also contains the Maastrict Stone. It was presented by the Dutch people in gratitude for the Royal Air Force’s assistance to the Dutch resistance during the Second World War. The visit therefore connects military history with personal and international memories.

Spitfires, Heritage Hangar and a flying experience

At the Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar, you can observe engineers building wings, fitting out fuselages and servicing Merlin engines during ongoing Spitfire restorations. The hangar houses airworthy Spitfires, a Hurricane, a P51 and a Messerschmitt 109, as well as a collection of military vehicles and motorcycles. At Biggin Hill Airport, visitors can also experience a flight in a legendary Spitfire.

For planning your day, Biggin Hill therefore offers different ways to encounter aviation history: you can choose a self-guided museum visit, view preserved historic structures or explore the technical focus of the Heritage Hangar. Each offering retains its own distinct focus and should not be treated as one single exhibition.

On foot, by bus, by bicycle and with a break at the café

The Seeking RAF Biggin Hill Walking Trail is 1.6 miles long and suitable for walkers of all ability levels. The RAF Biggin Hill Museum & Chapel is also located on a popular cycling route around the highest point in Kent. Bicycle parking is available at the museum.

Bus travel to the museum is also clearly described: there is a dedicated bus stop directly in front of the building. Bus routes 320 and 246 depart from Bromley South and run every 20 minutes. For a break before or after your visit, the Nightingale Café serves lunch, cake and coffee. From the terrace seating, you have a view of the airfield.

If you would like to compare other destinations in the London area, you can also find Romford, Kenley, Richmond, West Wickham, Southwark, Highbury, Surbiton and Isleworth here.