The 487th Bomb Group Memorial stands on the site of RAF Lavenham — Station 137 — and is accessible to the public independently of the guided summer walks. Whether you are a military history enthusiast, a local visitor, or a family member tracing the steps of someone who served here, you are welcome to visit the memorial and pay your respects.
Visiting Hours
The memorial is open to pedestrian visitors on weekends and public holidays between 7am and 7pm.
For visits outside these hours, or if you require vehicular access to the site, please contact us on 07850 142361 before your visit.
Please note that the rest of the airfield — including the control tower — is private farmland and is not accessible to visitors. Please keep to the designated pedestrian access route shown on the map below, marked in green, at all times. This is for your safety as well as being a condition of access agreed with the landowners.
Getting Here
The memorial is accessed via the lane just north of Shop Hill, Alpheton, Suffolk.
Limited parking is available at: ///leaves.wins.redefined
The What3Words reference above will take you directly to the lane with some limited parking when entered into the What3Words app or any compatible navigation system.
The nearest postcode for navigation is CO10 9BU, though we recommend using the What3Words reference for the most accurate directions to the parking point.
Finding the Memorial
From the parking area, follow the pedestrian access route along the green-marked path shown on the map below. The memorial is a short walk from the lane. Please keep to this route at all times — the surrounding land is actively farmed and other areas of the site are not accessible.
The control tower is visible from the memorial area but is on private land with no public access.
Visiting the Memorial Map
For Guided Walks
If you would like a fully guided tour of the surviving airfield landscape — including the perimeter track, hardstandings, and memorial — our summer walks run on the second Sunday of each month from June to September. Places are limited and booking is essential.
Contact
If you have any questions about visiting the memorial, or if you are a family member of someone who served with the 487th Bomb Group and would like to arrange a visit outside normal hours, please get in touch — we would be delighted to help.