It has been given listed status on account of being the best preserved airfield complete with First World War era buildings and is open to the public as a visitor attraction.

The site, which is 3.7 miles (6 km) southwest of Maldon in Essex,[3] was first surveyed as a possible aerodrome in August 1916, but it was not ready to accept aircraft until May 1917.

[5] In April 1918, the aerodrome was handed over to the newly formed Royal Air Force,[6] who instituted a survey in October of the same year which determined that the base had a complement of 219 personnel and 16 Camel aircraft assigned to No.

[10][11] The aircraft were known to be unreliable and of the ten pilots killed operating from Stow Maries, eight died in accidents whilst two were shot down by the Royal Navy.

[12] The base was not re-used during the Second World War, although it was surveyed twice, bombed by the enemy (as it was left looking like an airfield) and saw at least one Hurricane from 242 Squadron land there after it was damaged during an aerial battle in 1940.