Upton Airfield KUPT

On the outskirts of Upton, hidden beyond a line of wind-bent trees and an overgrown service road, sits Upton Airfield. It was never a grand airport. There were no international flights, no towering control centre, and no crowds of holidaymakers dragging suitcases across polished floors. At its busiest, Upton Airfield handled a handful of small passenger planes, private charters, and medical flights each week. But the locals remember a different time. The airport opened in 1963, built on what had once been farmland. Its single runway stretched across the fields like a black scar, and a small terminal building stood beside it, painted cream and blue. For decades, the airport was an important part of the town. Pilots knew the staff by name. Children would ride their bicycles to the perimeter fence to watch the planes take off.