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Molesworth common
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Molesworth Common in Cambridgeshire was chosen to have cruise missile nuclear weapons in the 80's. It also had a peace camp.
A number of peace camps were established at various locations around the airbase in the early 1980's as well as a large camp established on the site of the base itself. In 1984 members of Molesworth Peace Camp helped establish a Peace Camp at the neighbouring Alconbury Airbase. Molesworth airbase did not have a runway and cruise missiles were to be flown into RAF Alconbury before being transferred by road to Molesworth.
A large camp called Rainbow Village was established on Molesworth Airbase in 1984. It was forcibly evicted in 1985 becoming the largest peace time undertaking for the Royal Engineers since WWII when they fenced the airbase after the evictions. Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine famously arrived during the evictions via helicopter and wearing a flak jacket.
A small peace camp remained outside the airbase until after Cruise missiles were decommissioned. The Quakers maintained a presence at the peace camp for many years, finally leaving in 1989.