Originally allocated to the Eighth Air Force as a heavy bomber base, Rivenhall was built during 1943-44 but transferred to the Ninth Air Force before construction was complete. It had three concrete runways, 51 loop hardstandings and two dispersed T2 hangars. The 363rd Fighter Group, equipped with P-51s, was the first to occupy the station from January to April 1944. The 397th Bomb Group, equipped with B-26s, then occupied the station until August 1944, after which it was handed over to the RAF's 38 Group, controlled from nearby Marks Hall.

Placed on Care and Maintenance in 1946, Rivenhall was used temporarily to house displaced Polish servicemen who did not wish to return to Poland. Marconi leased part of the airfield in 1956, taking over most of the surviving buildings during the 1960s, and the main runway was used by GEC for radar experiments. Today, the northern part of the site has been turned into a quarry, with most of the land in the northwest area being excavated. Most of the rest of the site has returned to agriculture, but several of the wartime buildings have been adapted for light industry.