First paved runway UK?

[Fokkerwokker]

Anyone out there have any idea which were the first civil and military fields to have hard runways in UK?

Not much luck with Google thus far.

Ta!

FW

[Hyperborean]

Claims are usually made for Hatston, now disused, in Orkney and Stornoway; for the first paved military airfields. The Orkney claim rests on the story that Eric Fresson told the Admiralty that Hatston was a good site but that the surface conditions would be impossible in wet weather ( ie. frequently in Orkney) and they took his advice. Stornoway claims to have beaten Hatston to the honours. I think there are other claims, no doubt better informed bodies than me will propose them.

[chevvron]

I thought Odiham had one of the first.

[Agaricus bisporus]

HMS Africa

1912

[MReyn24050]

In 1938 the Whitley prototype K4586 was modified with a special undercarriage and used to determine whether the grass aerodromes would be suitable for the future large aircraft that were due to come into service. For furter information refer to the Any Ideas 3 thread, http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?t=325761

[Hyperborean]

Looks like Hatston still leads the field military wise then

[DB6]

Reference to Hatston as the first tarmac runway in an article on the Highland Airways 75th Anniversary thread http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/latestnews/The-marvellous-man-and-his.4070221.jp (near the bottom).