Inside Britain's eerie abandoned plane graveyard where forgotten shells of 1950s aircraft are left to rot

The Sun

29-04-2025

A CREEPY aeroplane graveyard where the shells of 75-year-old jets have been left to decay has been discovered.
The three colossal passenger planes have been almost entirely engulfed by vegetation and the windows used by hundreds of pilots to navigate the skies are now boarded up.
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The site is just a few hundred metres from London Southend Airport, where millions of passengers jet off on their holidays every year.
The abandoned vessels are located on the grounds of the Skylark Hotel, whose land borders the airport.
It is believed that one of the long-grounded planes dates back to the 1950s.
Unable to be viewed from public roads, urban explorers have shared never-before-seen images and footage from the site.
According to Google Earth, there are two larger planes similar to the ones seen in our skies today, and a smaller jet.
The smaller of the three looks like a private plane and was likely once a luxury mode of transportation.
After spotting a Facebook post about the eerie site, aviation enthusiasts Andrew Kirkland, Steve Page, and Mike Griffiths decided to investigate.
They visited the Skylark Hotel and were given access to the site, where they filmed their discovery with a GoPro.
Andrew said: "We were both excited and nervous all at the same time.
"As we approached the planes that were covered in overgrowth, it gave me the feeling of a place long forgotten and no longer cared about."
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As well as the metal skeletons, the space was littered with old TV sets, broken garden furniture and household rubbish.
Paul Edwards and his partner, Jacqui Allen-Rowberry, also visited the discarded jets.
They didn't want to break into the site and be caught trespassing, so they also asked the hotel if they could see the planes.
Paul told EssexLive that the experience was "surreal".
He was told by Skylark staff not to get too close, so they viewed the airliners from behind a padlocked gate.
"It was a great experience. The day we went was quite grey and cloudy but it added to the effect," he said after snapping arty shots on his Canon 5D.
The site has sparked huge interest amongst the plane spotting community and several members on the Fighter Control forum tried to identify the models.
One post suggested the two larger planes are former Royal Australian Air Force Hawker Siddeley HS 784s.
These were originally designed and produced by Arvo, a British aircraft manufacturer.
This has not been officially confirmed.
The history of the planes may remain a mystery as they have been so badly damaged from rust and vandals.
The area around the aircraft is secured by locked gates and fences, but they can be seen from the hotel's car park.
It is vital to always seek permission from the landowner before entering a private area.
You can spot the three planes on Google Maps' satellite view at Aviation Way, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6UN.
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