This is not a page about the famous early warning system, RAF Fylingdales, that dominates these moors (once three huge "golfballs" now replaced by a type of "pyramid"). But instead the little told story about the moor itself which was used for training during the Second World War.

In September 2003 a huge fire swept across the moors and it uncovered not only prehistoric features but also relics of the moor's use from WW2 and into the 1950's as a training area for troops. Features such as "foxholes", shell craters and tank tracks could be seen clearly for the first time in sixty years. The archaeology found after this fire is covered in the excellent book 'Fylingdales - Wildfire and Archaeology' by Blaise Vyner which not only looks at Fylingdales Moor but also the adjacent Howdale Moor.

Howdale Moor still has, according to the book, 'foxholes' "around 2m long, 40cm wide and up to 1.5m deep". Along with "spent cartridge cases and bits-and-pieces of rusty metalwork" as further evidence of their military use. According to Wikipedia "[RAF Fylingdales] was sited on a former wartime mortar range on Snod Hill, which had to be comprehensively cleared by RAF Bomb Disposal before building could begin". Howdale Moor's use for gunnery and mortar training is mentioned in Vyner's book and a photograph of one of these exposed shell craters is shown.

At the eastern edge of Howdale Moor is a modern communications mast which is near the site of an early pre-war experimental radar site later (1937-39) replaced during the Second World War "by a Short Wave Aircraft Beam (SWAB) site. This was used to guide planes to and from missions over enemy territory. Other installations included one of a chain of stations which guided aircraft in distress to the nearest airfield." (Vyner 2007).