BRITAIN BENEATH · GUIDE · 8 OCTOBER 2026
Yorkshire’s Wartime Decoys: The Targets Built to Fool the Enemy
Crews lit false fires and laid out fake airfields to draw bombs away from towns and bases. At one Yorkshire decoy, the fires were tested—but there is no recorded use during a raid.
Based on published records and visitor information. We have not visited these places.
AI-generated illustration
An imagined wartime decoy uses fires and lights to suggest a target. The layout is made up. It does not show a recorded raid or a specific Yorkshire site.
AI-generated for Britain Beneath · 2026-09-27. Resized and converted to WebP for faster loading; no cropping.
A target that was not real
At Heslington Tillmire, crews prepared fires meant to look like York under attack. Historic England records fire baskets and earthworks at the decoy. It also records an important limit: the fires were tested, but there is no known lighting during an attack.
Other Yorkshire decoys used different tricks. Lights suggested airfields, while ponds and lights were arranged to resemble docks. The aim was to make an aircrew choose a false target instead of the real town, base or port.
A surviving hut cannot show the whole plan. Wartime lights, fire equipment and the layout of the surrounding ground were essential to the trick. The records help explain where those features were placed. They do not prove that every decoy diverted bombs.
- Historic England — World War II bombing decoy, 500m north west of John Cross ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
- Historic England — World War II decoys for Hull docks, 1580m south east, 600m west and 90m south west of Little Humber ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
- Historic England — World War II bombing decoy 500m east of Bland's Plantation ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
Fake fires near York
At Heslington Tillmire, a temporary decoy was built to help protect York. It was a Starfish site, a type that used fires. Historic England records fire baskets and earthworks around areas kept clear to stop fires spreading.
Crews tested the fires, but the record gives no known use during an attack. We can say the site was prepared and tested. We cannot say it diverted a raid.
The control building has gone. Documents and marks in the ground now provide much of the evidence for the site. The complete equipment used to operate the decoy has not survived.
- Historic England — World War II bombing decoy 500m east of Bland's Plantation ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
An airfield made from lights
Near Scalm Park, a decoy was meant to protect RAF Church Fenton. Known as the Hambleton decoy, it used lights to look like an airfield at night. This kind was called a Q-site.
The false airfield still needed real equipment. Separate operations and engine rooms held the controls and power systems. Historic England also records communications equipment and space for the crew.
The lights formed the false airfield, while the hut housed its crew and equipment. A surviving hut alone cannot show the whole wartime layout or establish that visitors may enter.
A false target far from the real one
Sneaton Moor’s decoy was meant to draw attacks away from Teesside, especially Middlesbrough. The real target was about 45 kilometres away. The record describes lights and Starfish fires, then later use for military training.
Decoys for Hull’s docks used man-made ponds and lights. From above, they were meant to suggest the shape of docks. Some lay several kilometres from the port. The protected remains are spread across separate areas.
What is left today
Different targets needed different tricks. At Allhallows in Kent, research describes a decoy that looked like burning oil storage. The observations date from 2013–2014. They do not tell us what is there now.
The Yorkshire sites in this guide are not a checked walking route. We have not confirmed public entry. The linked records let you explore their history without entering the land.
Visit only on a confirmed public route or authorised opening. Leave objects and earthworks alone. The remaining huts and marks in the ground are parts of a much larger wartime layout.
- Historic England — All Hallows oil decoy research, 2014 ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
- Historic England — World War II bombing decoy 500m east of Bland's Plantation ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
- Historic England — World War II bombing decoy control building 270m south of Scalm Park Cottages ↗ · reviewed 2026-09-13
Sources and further reading
Written using the sources linked above. Information checked on 13 September 2026. We have not visited or confirmed visitor arrangements directly with staff. Check the official visitor details before travelling. The 2 place records below give more information.
- World War II bombing decoy 500m east of Bland's Plantation — 1020404
- World War II bombing decoy control building 270m south of Scalm Park Cottages — 1020499
You can follow the links to read the original sources. Sources and permissions.