The airfield was used by the Royal Air Force from the First World War until 1967 when the Cotswold Gliding Club moved in from their previous base near Tetbury.

In 2002 the land and most of hangars surrounding the airfield were sold by the Ministry of Defence to private developers for use as industrial units.

The airfield was originally opened as RAF Minchinhampton and was first used in the First World War, serving as an aerodrome for the Australian Flying Corps with No.

This was redesignated on 18 December 1944 and moved back to Aston Down where the unit flew Hawker Typhoons.

4 Squadron RAF arrived on 3 January 1944 and stayed until 2 March 1944 flying the de Havilland Mosquito XVI.

2 Home Ferry Unit and initially only flew the Avro Anson C.19 but in March 1955 the Vickers Varsity T.1 was added and in April of the same year Anson C.12's were also added but just over two years later the unit disbanded on 2 September 1957 at the airfield.

[10] DEFRA occupy a secure facility to the north of the airfield housing the SVS Aston Down Wildlife Unit.

[12] The land surrounding the airfield, including a number of large hangars (visible in the photograph above), continued to be used by the MOD until 2002, when it was sold to the development firm Leda Properties to be let as warehousing and industrial units.

[13] In 2005, following a Freedom of Information request, the local newspaper revealed that Aston Down is contaminated with arsenic, hydrocarbons and radium.