Tapping Way Park: Information

Introduction

This park is owned and managed by Warwick District Council for the benefit of local residents.  The Council has chosen to keep it an open site to reflect its history as an airfield.  The park is used for many purposes including: walking, running, dog walking, playground area with mounded areas for play, football area with goal posts, areas for games and picnics, various areas focusing on nature.    Find out more about the history and other aspects of the park on this page.  The information here will be updated as the park develops. 

Further Information: RAF Warwick – A Hidden Part of Warwick's Wartime History

The land now occupied by Tournament Fields Business Park and the surrounding area was once home to RAF Warwick, an important Second World War airfield that played a vital role in training RAF pilots.

RAF Warwick opened in December 1941 as a Relief Landing Ground (RLG), providing additional airfield capacity to support the RAF's growing training programme. It remained operational until 4 February 1946, helping to prepare hundreds of pilots for wartime service.

Initially, the airfield was used by the Flying Instructors' School (FIS), where trainee instructors flew Airspeed Oxford and Avro Tutor aircraft between 1941 and October 1942. In October 1942, the site became home to No. 18 (Pilots) Advanced Flying Unit (AFU), which continued operating until May 1945. During this period, pilots trained on Airspeed Oxfords and Boulton Paul Defiants, developing the advanced flying skills needed before joining operational squadrons.

Although RAF Warwick functioned as an independent landing ground, its main station was RAF Church Lawford. It was one of four Relief Landing Grounds in Warwickshire, alongside sites including Leamington and Snitterfield, while Hinckley Heath was the busiest. Across England, almost 50 Relief Landing Grounds had been established by the early 1940s, providing essential support to the RAF's wartime training network.

Relief Landing Grounds were designed to be built quickly and efficiently. Most were created from existing grass fields with minimal construction work, requiring little more than level ground, hedge removal, basic drainage, fuel storage and a handful of prefabricated buildings.

At RAF Warwick, the site included four Over-type blister hangars, together with Nissen and Laing huts that served as offices, accommodation and mess facilities. Like many wartime airfields, RAF Warwick also experienced its share of flying accidents during its operational life.

Today, all of the wartime buildings have disappeared, and the site has been transformed into Tournament Fields Business Park. While little remains to indicate its former purpose, RAF Warwick made a significant contribution to Britain's war effort by training the pilots whose skills were crucial to the Allied victory in the Second World War. The park stands as a reminder of an important chapter in Warwick's history and the people who served there.

Even more information can be found at:

Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust

Take the Time Trail with Warwickshire Museum

Wikipedia RAF Warwick

Wikipedia Airfields of Britain Conservation Trust

Nature and Wildlife at Tournament Fields Park

Tournament Fields Park is a growing haven for wildlife, with a rich mix of trees, wildflower meadows, wetland habitats and a community orchard. As the park continues to mature, it provides valuable homes for nature while offering a beautiful green space for everyone to enjoy.

Trees

The far side of the park is home to several mature trees, including white poplar and ash, alongside wild apple and wild plum trees. Blackberry brambles provide a valuable food source for both wildlife and people.  

In spring, the cherry plum trees that line the bank beside Stratford Road are among the first to blossom, providing an important early source of nectar for pollinating insects while adding a splash of colour to the landscape.  

A striking row of Lombardy poplars forms a distinctive feature of the skyline along Stratford Road.

Many new native and ornamental trees have also been planted around the park, including oak, cherry, rowan, alder, birch, wild pear, hawthorn and willow. These trees will continue to enhance the park for generations to come.

Wildflower Meadows

Large areas of the park have been sown with wildflowers, creating colourful displays throughout the summer and providing essential habitat for pollinators.

Common species include knapweed, red clover and bird's-foot trefoil, while the meadow edges support a wide variety of native wildflowers, including:

• Bee orchid

• Ox-eye daisy

• Teasel

• Mallow

• Yarrow (Achillea)

• White campion

• Viper's bugloss

In the far corner near the Tapping Way and Stratford Road junction, you may also spot yellow rattle and corncockle. During spring, the banks are brightened by primroses and cowslips, while large drifts of daffodils and crocuses provide an early splash of colour. Snake's-head fritillaries have also been planted within the orchard area.

Community Orchard

The Community Orchard was planted by local volunteers in November 2024 with funding from the King Charles III Coronation Living Heritage Fund.

The orchard contains a variety of fruit trees, including cooking and dessert apples, pears, plums and a damson tree. While the young trees become established, local residents continue to help by watering them during dry summer months.

The orchard also includes a bee house which is part of the Bee Friendly Warwick Bee House Trail.  

As the orchard matures, it will provide fruit, blossom for pollinators and an important habitat for birds and insects.

Wetland Scrapes

Several shallow scrapes have been created throughout the park. These help reduce flooding on nearby paths while also creating valuable wetland habitats for wildlife.

Plants such as mayweed and persicaria are already colonising the damp edges, helping to support a wide range of insects and amphibians.

Wildlife

Birds

The park supports a variety of birdlife throughout the year. Smaller woodland and garden birds, including robins, dunnocks, blue tits, long-tailed tits and house sparrows, are commonly seen amongst the trees and hedgerows. During spring and summer, the distinctive song of the migratory chiffchaff can often be heard.

Goldfinches feed on the seeds of grasses and teasels, while gulls and crows make use of the open spaces. Kestrels are regularly seen hovering over the meadows in search of prey.

Bird and bat boxes have been installed around the park, particularly along the Stratford Road and woodland edges, providing additional nesting and roosting opportunities.

Butterflies

The wildflower meadows attract a colourful range of butterflies during the warmer months, including:

• Common blue

• Gatekeeper

• Meadow brown

• Marbled white

• Ringlet

• Skipper species

Insects

The park is alive with insects throughout the summer. Bumblebees, solitary bees, grasshoppers and the occasional dragonfly can all be found amongst the flowers and wetland areas, playing an essential role in pollination and the wider ecosystem.

Mammals

The most commonly seen mammals are hedgehogs and rabbits, both of which benefit from the park's mixture of grassland, hedgerows and scrub.

Amphibians

The wetter areas of the park, including the ditches, scrapes and Community Orchard, provide suitable habitat for frogs and toads, adding to the park's rich biodiversity.

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As the trees, meadows and wetland habitats continue to develop, Tournament Fields Park will become an increasingly important space for wildlife, supporting nature while offering visitors opportunities to enjoy and learn about the area's changing landscape.