Disused Airfields

[Netherways]

Guys,

Do any of you know of any way I can find out about disused airfields in my area (sussex) that it would be legal for me to visit? In my own time I am undertaking a degree in history and for one of my modules I am putting together a presentation on the history of "forgotten aviation"

I really would love to try and visit some old fields to get a feel for the "ghosts of the past"

Unfortunately I:
1) Don't know the location of any
2) feel being arrested for tresspassing isn't high on my priority list
3) Hate just peering through chain fences.

Any help will be graciously received.

Cheers!

Alex

[witchdoctor]

Try the 'nostalgia' forum further down the page. What these guys don't know................

[SilentHandover]

Here's one that became none disused recently for 2 days.

Chailey (http://www.spitfireart.com/html/airfieldinfo.html)

[Tempsford]

List of airfields that I have for Sussex are:
Appledram
Bognor
Chailey
Coolham
Cowdray Park
Deanland
Eastbourne
Ford
Friston
Funtigton
Goring by Sea
Hammerwood
Merston
Newhaven
Polegate
Pulborough
Rustington
Selsey
Shoreham
Slindon
Southbourne
Telscombe Cliffs
Tangmere
Thorney Island
Westhampnett
There are probably more, but this info may help. Books that may help are:
Military Airfields in the British Isles 1939-45 (Omnibus Edition) Steve Wills and Barry Hollis ISBN 0 907700 12 8
Sussex Airfields in the Second World War Robin J. Brooks ISBN 1 85306 259 6
Action Staions 9 Military Airfields of the Central South and South East Chris Ashworth ISBN 0 85059 608 4


Tempsford

[LTNman]

Have a look at http://www.homepages.mcb.net/bones/06airfields/UK/ukmenu.htm and http://www.controltowers.co.uk/Site%20Map.htm

[bizflyer]

Maybe not of direct use, but drawing on the experience of several years spent trawling around old airfields with my Dad in the '70s & '80s -

For sure during the '80s there was a series of books in print in the UK titled "Action Stations", there was a different book for each region ie Anglia, Yorkshire & North East, South East etc..from what I can remember there was - to an extent - a "then & now" about the books but not certain, prob worth a look anyway, for locations if nothing else. If not essential reading, close to it.

Also, not sure if the USAAF were in Sussex, but there is an excellent book called "Airfields of the Eigth, Then & Now" which even if you only have a passing interest in aviation history is a must, in particular WWII.

Living in the rural Countryside of Sussex myself I have a little tip for you, find out who owns the land and ask permission to wander around in advance, you'd be surprised as most will agree to a polite request and may also provide additional information that you otherwise would not have come across. Generally land owners only become agitated if you just chance it!

(Apologies for repeating information already contained in the last part of Tempsford's post!)

[Biggles Flies Undone]

A good place to visit is the museum at Tangmere - preferably on a weekday when it's quieter. The volunteers that work there have real enthusiasm and a tremendous depth of knowledge. It's also a great little museum in its own right and you can drool over John Derry's world record breaking Hunter :ok:

[Phileas Fogg]

Netherways,
Buy yourself good scale ordnance survey map(s), they show old runways ....... and pubs!

Or you can go to multimap, it's harder work but this is what you'll get from the maps or multimap:

http://uke.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=476500&Y=103000&width=500&height=300&gride=475708.119085735&gridn=102789.430786119&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&zm=1&scale=25000

P.S. There's a pub, 010 degrees, range 2.5nm

Or even:

http://uke.multimap.com/map/photo.cgi?client=public&X=476000.119085735&Y=103000.430786119&scale=25000&width=500&height=300&gride=475708.119085735&gridn=102789.430786119&lang=&db=freegaz

[McFunkletrumpet]

Biggles old boy, are you sure that John Derry ever flew the Hunter?
The records show that the record was taken by N. Duke on the 7th September 1953 whereas poor Derry died on the 6th Sept. 1952.
Cheers

McF

[zed3]

With reference to Bizflyer's advice I presume this series is now part of the Countryside Books series of which I have 'Yorkshire Airfields in the Second World War'. The other counties are Cambridge , Dorset , Essex , Hampshire , Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire , Kent , Lincolnshire , Norfolk , Northamptonshire , Suffolk , Surrey , Sussex . They are in paperback and cost £12.95p. Purchased it at Watersones in Scarborough , so available nationwide . They give a story of day-to-day life on the bases and whilst not giving up-to-date info. are very interesting . The www. controltowers.co.uk site mentioned above is also very good .

[Phileas Fogg]

Yapton in W. Sussex:

http://uke.multimap.com/map/browse.cgi?client=public&X=498000.268713522&Y=103000.392954416&width=500&height=300&gride=497538.268713522&gridn=103085.392954416&srec=0&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz&addr1=&addr2=&addr3=&pc=&advanced=&local=&localinfosel=&kw=&inmap=&table=&ovtype=&zm=0&scale=25000&right.x=2&right.y=97

[McFunkletrumpet]

Apologies to everyone. I have just re read my previous message.

My final word " Cheers" may be mistaken.
A serious slip. Sorry.

[smallpilot]

Tempsford...
I'm not from Sussex and your list looks very comprehensive, but...
Last time I went there Shoreham was most definately open!

[Phileas Fogg]

If we're talking about open airfields then don't exclude Gatwick & Goodwood!

[Tempsford]

I most humbly apologise. This thread is indeed titled 'disused airfields' and I mistakenly added a few that are still operational. Therefore my response was based on 'any' airfields in Sussex. It was not my intention to confuse 'any' with 'disused' airfilelds. As I have said before, people are very quick to pick you up on anything on this site. Makes you really want to provide reponses to questions asked in good faith as are the answers provided. I did in fact live in Sussex for 15 years and often went past a very active Shoreham Airport.

Tempsford ( a very old, closed and disused airfield, still with a heck of an atmosphere but not in Sussex)

[Captain Airclues]

Netherways

I'm sure that the Airfield Research Group (www.airfield-research-group.co.uk) would be able to help.

Airclues

[Netherways]

Thank you all!

Some really valuable bits of info there! Much appreciated!

Alex

[JB007]

Go to Transair at Shoreham and buy a Southern VFR half mil map, about £15.00 - this will show all disused airfields with a blue circle with a X through...

[cwatters]

Avaition ghosts of the past eh?....

http://www.paranormaldatabase.com/aviation/pages/avdata.php?pageNum_paradata=1&totalRows_paradata=69

Only one in Sussex listed.

On a more serious note: Try a visit to Shoreham airport which is still in use. (I mean the one near the coast not the other one). They have an interesting museum. The airfield was opened in around 1911 so it's got to be one of the oldest.

It would be worth giving them a call and see if you can get a look at the 1910 Lee-Richards Annular biplane I hear they are building.

Someone told me that the first air cargo flight to leave the UK departed from Shoreham.