During the last century, two World Wars and the Cold War that followed had a great effect on the sandlings that is still visible today.

In 1916, part of Martlesham Heath became a site to test military aircraft and their weapons. This became an active airfield during the Second World war. The Sandlings skies would have been filled with the sound of Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes, and later on American fighters as they sped out to sea to assist convoys of merchant ships or chase enemy planes. An air sea rescue squadron was also based here, which saved many pilots who ditched their planes into the North Sea.

You can find out more about Martlesham airfield at Martlesham Heath Aviation Museum which is in the control tower of the airfield.

When the Second World war began in 1939, the Sandlings was declared 'A Defence Area'. All signposts were removed and restrictions were placed on people's movements. If you had strolled through the Sandlings at that time, your movements would have been monitored by the Auxillary Units! These were a secret army of highly trained men who moved unseen through the countryside. They would have become our resistance forces if we had been invaded. Their secret hideouts still exist, but are now overgrown.

Many heaths played an important part in the war effort. On Hollesley Heath you can still find a long narrow strip of heather where a crash landing strip was created. Petrol and paraffin fires dispersed the mist so that crippled and lost planes could land. A decoy aerodrome was created at Nacton. This was one of several that were lit with flare paths to deceive the enemy. Ditches were dug across many flat heaths to stop enemy glider planes from landing. You can still find these ditches today, although some are now in woodland - a sign of how quickly a heath can change.

Local people were encourage to move out of the Sandlings during the war. Places such as Sudbourne were compulsorily cleared so that the 79th Armoured Division could carry out exercises in preparation for D-Day. Dunwich Heath was another very active tank training area and on Sutton Heath several stands of birch trees can be dated back to about 1945 - a legacy of the end of the military training that took place here.

As the Second World War ended, the 'Cold War' with Eastern Europe began. Martlesham Heath airfield became redundant, but Woodbridge and Bentwaters airbases were home to the United States Airforce until the 1990s. Runways, aircraft hangars and bomb stores from this period are still evident today.

This information is taken from the Sandlings Walk pack. The Sandlings Walk is a 60 mile long distance footpath linking heaths between Ipswich and Southwold. It was created as part of the work supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund to safeguard the Sandlings. To order a Walk Pack for £4.75 + P&P please contact Suffolk Wildlife Trust on 01473 890089.