_Whitchurch Airport (1930-1957)
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This page is not intended to provide detailed history into the airfield, as this can be found in the excellent publication, ‘Somewhere in the West Country' by Ken Wakefield (ISBN 0-947554-65-3), published by Crecy Publishing Ltd. I may replicate some very brief details of the airfield history, but I want to mainly provide information and photographs of what remains of the airport as it is today.
To the ordinary eye, there may not be many clues to the very interesting history of the site, but with some careful investigation, a few can be found. A large part of the site is now taken up by a multiplex complex which contains a cinema, travel inn, restaurant, McDonalds and other eateries. The name of the restaurant, ‘The Wessex Flyer', together with its pub sign of an aircraft, does provide a little clue.
The largest clue is what is left of the runway, which can clearly be seen in the pictures below. Part of the runway was consumed beneath the cinema complex, so now only the shortened remains are left.
Elsewhere, there can be found some of the existing taxiways, and possibly some of the original buildings. I will be looking to add more pictures of these in due course.
The south east corner of the site is now home to the Whitchurch Sports Centre, in a building which looks similar to an aircraft hangar. The is the exact site where the original flying club hangars were built, back in 1930.
Please click here for a small sample of the aircraft operated from the airport.
This page is not intended to provide detailed history into the airfield, as this can be found in the excellent publication, ‘Somewhere in the West Country' by Ken Wakefield (ISBN 0-947554-65-3), published by Crecy Publishing Ltd. I may replicate some very brief details of the airfield history, but I want to mainly provide information and photographs of what remains of the airport as it is today.
To the ordinary eye, there may not be many clues to the very interesting history of the site, but with some careful investigation, a few can be found. A large part of the site is now taken up by a multiplex complex which contains a cinema, travel inn, restaurant, McDonalds and other eateries. The name of the restaurant, ‘The Wessex Flyer', together with its pub sign of an aircraft, does provide a little clue.
The largest clue is what is left of the runway, which can clearly be seen in the pictures below. Part of the runway was consumed beneath the cinema complex, so now only the shortened remains are left.
Elsewhere, there can be found some of the existing taxiways, and possibly some of the original buildings. I will be looking to add more pictures of these in due course.
The south east corner of the site is now home to the Whitchurch Sports Centre, in a building which looks similar to an aircraft hangar. The is the exact site where the original flying club hangars were built, back in 1930.
Please click here for a small sample of the aircraft operated from the airport.
_1930 - The beginning....
Back in 1929, the Bristol and Wessex Aero Club was looking to move from its home at Filton, in North Bristol , and identified land to the south of the city. The land was purchased and in November 1929 work commenced on clearing the landing area and the building of a club house. The first aircraft to arrive at the new airfield, on 4 February 1930 , was de Havilland DH60 Moth, G-EBXF (c/n 609). This was following shortly afterwards by the rest of the aero club aircraft and numerous privately owned aircraft. The airport was officially opened on 31 May 1930 by HRH Prince George, Duke of Kent. As part of the opening, an ‘International Air Pageant was organised, and attracted over 30,000 spectators © Gary Morris/eggd.co.uk |
_1957 - The end....
Before World War II, the Bristol council had initiated the building of housing estates in the area and these were steadily encroaching on the boundaries of the airport. This continued apace after the end of the war, and together with the close proximity of Dundry Hill, this meant that more modern aircraft were unable to use the airport. In view of this, an alternative site for the airport was sought, and the old RAF base at Lulsgate Bottom, some miles to the south west of the city, was chosen. Thus, flying officially came to an end at the Bristol Whitchurch Airport site on 13 April 1957, although there were some aircraft movements for a little while after this, mainly due to landings there by mistake. There was to be one final aircraft movement though, in November 1993, when Cessna 152, G-BNSN, of the Bristol & Wessex Flying Club made an emergency landing on the runway after suffering a fuel shortage. |