Coningsby: RAF history and historic places

Coningsby brings together aviation history, sacred architecture, historic buildings and a named natural area. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight operates from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire; St Michael’s Church includes building phases dating from the 13th to the 15th century. Other features include the former vicarage Church Close, the historic inn The White Bull and the The Pingle nature reserve right next to the High Street. This gives you several distinct areas of interest to explore during your stay: aviation, architectural history and nature.

RAF Coningsby and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight

The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight operates from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire. The Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Visitor Centre gives the public access to the site. The Visitor Centre and RAF hangar are within the boundaries of RAF Coningsby; the hangar can only be accessed as part of a guided tour. When planning your trip, it is therefore important to distinguish between public access to the site and a guided tour of the hangar. If you are particularly interested in the hangar, take the tour requirement into account when planning.

St Michael’s Church and the single-hand clock

The Church of St Michael is a parish church dating from the 13th, 14th and 15th centuries, with an open west tower. The church also has a single-hand clock, built in the 17th century. Its dial is 16.5 feet in diameter, and its hand is almost 9 feet long. Records of the clock being wound date back to 1780. The dates place the church and clock in their historical context: the clock was made after the church’s building phases, while records of it being wound go back to the late 18th century. The timepiece thus adds its own historical chapter to the parish church’s architectural history.

Historic buildings and The Pingle

The White Bull is a historic inn dating from the mid-18th century. Church Close is a former vicarage dating from the 14th and 15th centuries; its hall was built around 1345. The two buildings represent different historical periods and functions: an inn on the one hand, and a former vicarage with its own hall on the other. At Church Close, the date of around 1345 refers to the hall, while the former vicarage is attributed to the 14th and 15th centuries.

The Pingle nature reserve is right next to the High Street in Coningsby. Its location connects the natural setting to a specific street and adds another point of interest alongside the aviation and architectural themes. The interests can be distinguished as follows: RAF Coningsby represents the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, St Michael and Church Close represent architectural history, and The Pingle represents nature conservation.

A community leisure project

The skatepark is another community topic. In a parish council post dated 10 February 2025, the goal for Phase 2 of the project was described as revitalising the skatepark for the local community, RAF personnel and tourists. A wider selection of skating equipment was intended to make it more user-friendly. The goal therefore links a local leisure facility with the groups mentioned in the post and the planned expansion of its equipment.

Discover more destinations: Saxilby, Waltham, Appleby, Horncastle, Kirton, Leverton, Spalding, South Witham

For the regional travel guide: Lincolnshire.