(Former) RAF Down Ampney

This was RAF Down Ampney, a vital airfield during the war and a key launching point for D-Day operations. Dakotas departed from here regularly, carrying glider-borne troops and paratroopers on crucial airborne missions that shaped the course of the conflict.

Much of the airfield has since returned to farmland or been built over, but the story remains. There's a memorial area marking where the control tower stood, a reflective spot where you can contemplate the scale of what happened here and the bravery of those involved. It's worth standing there for a moment and picturing the buzz of activity, the roar of engines, and the intensity of those final preparations before missions launched. There's no museum on site, but that directness—being in the actual place where history unfolded—has its own power.

The nearby village of Latton has roots going back centuries, with hints of earlier fortified structures, though not much remains visible now. You're conveniently placed between some substantial market towns here. Cirencester, Cricklade, and Fairford are all within reasonable distance, so this makes a meaningful addition to a broader exploration of the area's past.