EPW030064 ENGLAND (1929). The R101 airship on its first test flight, Shortstown, from the north-west, 1929

From 1970 onwards, part of this hanger was hired from MoD by the Fire Research Station (FRS), then sited at Borehamwood. This was to carry out large-scale fire tests in sheltered conditions that were too large for the test buildings at Borehamwood. The entire hanger was eventually taken over in the late 1970s by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) which FRS had become part of in 1974. The external cladding was replaced in the 1980s. Large scale tests continued until the early part of the 2000-2010 decade when BRE gave up using the hanger. (I frequently worked on fire tests in the hanger from 1970 until I retired in 1997.)

Sorry to hear that - enjoyed many good lunches there while working in Hanger 2.

This line was opened by the Midland Railway in 1857 from Leicester to Hitchin to link with the Great Northern line opened in part 1850 and to Kings Cross in 1852. This was an alternative to the route to Rugby and to Euston via the L&NWR. But the GN did not favour the MR trains and this lead to the MR's 'London Extension' in 1868, relegating the Bedford-Hitchin line to a secondary role; it closed to passengers in 1962 and to goods later that decade.