RAF Honington

Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk, United Kingdom

Explore Bury Saint Edmunds, Suffolk city guide Navigate to this airport

Routes out

Destinations

EGXH

ICAO

174 ft

Elevation

AirlinesAirports profile

Active RAF station with limited civilian air operations.

Opened

1937

Location

Bury Saint Edmunds, United Kingdom

RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located near Bury Saint Edmunds in Suffolk, England. It serves primarily as a military installation and is the home of the RAF Regiment, the ground defence force of the Royal Air Force. The airfield holds the IATA code BEQ and ICAO code EGXH, though it does not operate as a commercial passenger airport. Civilian use is extremely limited, and the base is not open to the general public for air travel.

Notable facts

›RAF Honington is the home of the RAF Regiment, founded in 1942.
›The station opened in 1937 and was used extensively during World War II.
›It previously hosted Tornado GR1 strike aircraft before the RAF Regiment took primary residence.
›The airfield is not open for scheduled commercial passenger services.
›It falls under the jurisdiction of Air Command and remains an active military base.

Official website Wikipedia

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City & Place Guide

Medieval market town blending abbey ruins, gardens, and Georgian charm.

Bury Saint Edmunds is a handsome Suffolk market town with nearly 1,000 years of history, centred on the dramatic ruins of a Benedictine abbey that once rivalled Canterbury in religious significance. The compact, walkable town centre retains its original Norman grid street plan, lined with independent shops, Georgian facades, and two ancient market squares still hosting weekly markets.

Beyond history, Bury offers excellent dining, a thriving arts scene anchored by the Theatre Royal, and the famous Greene King brewery. It makes an ideal base for exploring the gentle Suffolk countryside and nearby villages such as Lavenham and Long Melford.

•Abbey Ruins and Gardens — hauntingly beautiful medieval remains set within manicured public parkland.
•St Edmundsbury Cathedral — striking Gothic cathedral with a modern Millennium Tower worth climbing for views.
•Greene King Brewery Tour — behind-the-scenes look at one of England's most historic regional breweries.
•Moyse's Hall Museum — Norman stone building housing local archaeology, social history, and curiosities.
•Theatre Royal — rare surviving Regency playhouse managed by the National Trust, still staging performances.
•Angel Hotel — historic coaching inn connected to Dickens, perfect for a drink steeped in literary atmosphere.

Getting around: Bury Saint Edmunds is served by regular Greater Anglia trains from Cambridge (about 40 minutes) and Ipswich (about 45 minutes). Local First buses connect the town to surrounding villages, and the compact centre is very easily explored on foot. Taxis are readily available from the station rank, and both Uber and local cab firms operate in the area.

Best time: Late spring through early summer (May to June) offers the best combination of mild weather, blooming abbey gardens, and fewer crowds than peak summer.

Local food: Look out for locally brewed Greene King ales, Suffolk-reared beef and game pies, and sweet Bury Biscuits — a regional shortbread specialty sold in town-centre bakeries.

This guide is provided for general information only. Verify details locally before making travel decisions.

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Encyclopaedia

Royal Air Force Honington or more simply RAF Honington is a Royal Air Force station located 6 mi (9.7 km) south of Thetford near Ixworth in Suffolk, England. It was used as a bomber station during the Second World War and through the Cold War, hosting Handley Page Victors and Hawker Siddeley (Blackburn) Buccaneers. RAF Honington has been the RAF Regiment depot since 1994.

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