The Kent Battle of Britain Museum brings together several aspects of Hawkinge’s aviation history: the airfield was an important front-line fighter station during the Battle of Britain, and large parts of the 1968 film “The Battle of Britain” were filmed in Hawkinge. The Church of St. Michael, by contrast, offers a different historical perspective through its long building history. Those considering Hawkinge as a destination can explore a range of historical themes here.
Aircraft and Film Connections
The museum’s Stuart-Buttle Hangar houses full-scale replicas of Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft built for the film “The Battle of Britain.” The film is closely connected with Hawkinge: large parts of it were made here. The Lord Dowding Memorial Hangar also displays three full-scale replicas of Messerschmitt Bf 109E aircraft from the same film. Together, the two hangars showcase different aircraft types with a shared connection to film history.
Other exhibits broaden the focus beyond these film replicas. The museum displays full-scale replicas of three Hawker Hurricanes representing aircraft of No. 32 Squadron. One of the three Pickett Hamilton Retractable Forts stands in the car park. The Armoury houses a comprehensive collection of ground-based and airborne weapons. Aircraft models, a fort and the weapons collection each offer a distinct perspective on aviation history.
Hawkinge Airfield During the Second World War
The museum includes buildings on Hawkinge Airfield connected with the Second World War, including the Operations Block and the Armoury. The Operations Block was built in 1927. During the war, all air operations in Hawkinge were directed from there. The original Armoury dates from 1926; in addition to being a historic building, the museum’s Armoury houses the collection of ground-based and airborne weapons.
The first air raid on Hawkinge took place on 12 August 1940, when 15 Ju 88s attacked the airfield. The airfield’s history also extends beyond the Battle of Britain. In 1944, it was used for Operation Diver against V1 flying bombs. These events differed in timing and function, offering several concrete points of reference in the area’s history.
Building 4 of the museum is the original “B” Flight Dispersal Hut, built in 1940. It formerly stood on the east side of Hawkinge Airfield, near Killing Wood. Its former location is as much a part of the building’s history as its present name in the museum.
Church Architecture and Archaeological Layers
The Church of St. Michael offers a different way to explore Hawkinge’s history. The church dates from the late 11th or 12th century, with structural elements from the 13th and 17th centuries and a restoration in 1875. These details describe not a single building phase, but architecture that developed over several centuries. The nave has four roof trusses with crown posts. This specific detail of the roof structure complements the chronology with a feature of the interior.
Archaeological investigations in Hawkinge uncovered at least nine roughly rectangular enclosures defined by boundary ditches. The earliest settlement identified at the Hawkinge site appears to date from the Late Bronze Age or Early Iron Age, around 900 to 600 BC. This tentative dating reaches far back beyond the documented airfield and church phases, revealing an even earlier layer of the area’s history.
Discover more destinations: Littlebourne, Petham, Eastry, Doddington, Bapchild, Hythe, Kennington, Yalding
For the wider travel overview: Kent.
