Lowfield Heath-Ghost Village

[SpringHeeledJack]

BBC News - Gatwick runway plans: Lowfield Heath 'ghost village' remembered (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-26030110)

Each time that I use Gatwick airport I always see the church either during the taxiing or takeoff/landing phases and visually at least it is a point of 'fixing' that one is back in Blighty after however long abroad with Johnny Foreigner :) Does anyone here remember the village back when it still existed in the 1970's ? Hopefully the villagers didn't all end up in Crawley when the time came to be moved :uhoh:



SHJ

[gruntie]

I remember the windmill, from the 60s: apparently it has been moved. There is also a wonderful old Tudor(?) farmhouse/manor house preserved in the service area: enter the airport from the M23 spur and head for the south terminal, it's hidden away amongst modern office buildings down one of the first roads on the left, so to the east of the railway. Still in use too, though disfigured by a modern ventilation system.

[DaveReidUK]

Does anyone know if the old house in the woods between the A23 and the perimeter road, just south of the BA hangar, still there?

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-history-nostalgia/364973-what-did-gatwick-used-look-like-2.html#post4820822

[Talkdownman]

One of our KK ATCOs ('PRB') lived in Lowfield Heath. He used to walk to work and cross the runway, mostly on a green from the (old) tower. Witnessed an occasional bit of running. That would have been '68/'69. Maybe his son ('TB'), a celebrated Virgin 340 captain, might be on here to regale life in Lowfield Heath as a young teenager…

[SpringHeeledJack]

One of our KK ATCOs ('PRB') lived in Lowfield Heath. He used to walk to work and cross the runway, mostly on a green from the (old) tower. Witnessed an occasional bit of running. That would have been '68/'69. Maybe his son ('TB'), a celebrated Virgin 340 captain, might be on here to regale life in Lowfield Heath as a young teenager…

That's the kind of stuff I'd like to her about :ok:



SHJ

[ZFT]

The windmill was relocated sometime in the late 80s IIRC

[parabellum]

Used to be a good flying club/pub there too, had a yacht on blocks in the front, excellent place to spend the afternoon after an early Palma, circa 1980.http://images.ibsrv.net/ibsrv/res/src:www.pprune.org/get/images/smilies/wink2.gif

[Fenders]

The windmill was taken down and re-assembled next to the zoo at Charlwood.
The zoo has since sadly closed but the windmill is still there.

As mentioned above I recall the stories about the ATC watch manager who used to live south side and would walk across the runway to work.
On one foggy occasion he walked to the edge of the runway. He then listened out for nearby aircraft noise. Thinking that all was clear he proceeded to cross the runway. Suddenly he was alerted to very loud engine noise and so ran to the other side of the runway and took a dive into the grass. At this moment an aircraft wing sliced through the air above his head. A moment later he dusted himself down and continued walking to the tower. On arrival he was informed that a landing aircraft had reported seeing a tramp lying beside the runway. The tower controller's response was "that's ok. It's our watch manager".

PRB was quite a character and always had a good story to tell.

[The SSK]

As a mad-keen spotter, round about 1964 I stayed for a week at the house in Lowfield Heath of the then BUA Personnel Director, who was a friend of one of my uncles. The house was on the road that ran parallel to the runway and the perimeter fence was at the bottom of the garden, just about at the touchdown point. From this spot I recall seeing, at extreme close range, the arrival of BUA's second VC10, which I suppose would date it pretty accurately.

After a bit of pre-breakfast spotting in the garden, I would walk up the road to the airport, past the Fields hangar (Flying Tiger Connies, Saturn DC7s), past the Morton buildings, past the Hermes fuselage, to spend the day on the roof terraces. Gatwick was spotters' heaven in those days. That VC10 and a N-reg Jetstar were the only jets I saw there all week. Apart from BUA, it was mostly DC6s from every corner of Europe.

[SpringHeeledJack]

A lovely image of yesteryear mr SSK, somehow I preferred airports when they were 'open' and convivial places and not today's fenced shopping centres ever watchful towards miscreants with nefarious intentions.


SHJ

[The SSK]

Convivial indeed SHJ.

My regular patch was Newcastle, where you could easily spend an afternoon with maybe two visitors of note, but I don't recall being bored. First stop on arrival (having peered through the various holes in the hangar wall to ensure there was nothng new amongst the usual suspects) was the fire hut, where they had chalked on a board the expected arrivals - but the list was not definitive; even if there was nothing special, that didn't put you off.

Then, if anything overflew, you could nip up the steps to the tower, tap on the door and very respectfully ask if they had an ID for it.

If something exotic arrived, you could pop through the gate seperating land and airside and meekly ask the apron manager if you could walk out and take a close look. If nothing else was expected to be moving, he would usually say yes although his deputy would always say no. Once out there, if you were bold enough, you could nip up the aircraft steps and ask anyone onboard if you could have a look inside.

Finally the 'passenger reception' building; the spotters had a corner by the window looking out onto the apron. We got half-price teas and coffees on the understanding that we would vacate the premises as soon as the passengers for the teatime London flight (BKS Ambassador) started to show up.

[India Four Two]

TheSSK,

I agree with SHJ. A wonderful description of bygone times. We are of the same vintage, although my main interest at that time was steam engines

I imagine that youngsters reading nostalgic posts like yours must have the same feeling of slight incredulity that you and I would have had, when we were teenagers, reading descriptions of pre-WWI aviation in the UK.

[Talkdownman]

I42, ditto vintage, spotting in '64, steam etc. Your post reminds me of Clive Dunn's 'Grandad'...'aeroplanes tied up with string....flyin'....

Fifty years since '64. Fifty before that...1914. What a difference a half-century can make.

[India Four Two]

Yet, back in 1964, we thought everything was the epitome of modernity - Lightnings, Concorde in development, Minis, mini skirts. :ok:

The only things I can immediately think of that were not impressive were most British cars, Post Office telephones and the abysmal Warship diesels on the Western Region! :eek:

We couldn't possibly have imagined today's technology, but I suppose the same would have been true of teenagers in 1914 looking forward to 1964.

[primreamer]

DaveReidUK,
The old house you mention is still there but now so overgrown that its almost completely obscured from both the A23 and perimeter road. The staff car park bus stops opposite hangar six and if you know its there, you can just make it out.

[Talkdownman]

It's visible on Google Maps. Its access road now is barely a public bridleway. Lost in time...