West London Airfields (Heston, Hanworth, and Hounslow)
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Nopax' crack about Faireys reminds me that the junction between Station Road and North Hyde Road that was by Fairey's main gate is still known as Fairey Corner by the older residents of Hayes.
Ironically the public conveniences that stood there had to be closed by the council as they became a rendezvous for cottagers.
By the way, Nopax, have you seen those houses in Portsmouth that have ferries at the bottom of the garden? And as for the Cairo Hilton, that has Pharoahs at the bottom of the garden.
Ironically the public conveniences that stood there had to be closed by the council as they became a rendezvous for cottagers.
By the way, Nopax, have you seen those houses in Portsmouth that have ferries at the bottom of the garden? And as for the Cairo Hilton, that has Pharoahs at the bottom of the garden.
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As one who lives near all of these wonderful ex-places I can confirm that Hanworth Air Park is still used regularly for flying.
Unfortunately the aircraft are now rather small, radio-controlled and make a noise far removed from their illustrious forebears.....
Still, it is good to see Hanworth still as open space, unlike Heston which is now mostly covered by the M4 Services.
Incidentally it is interesting to see how useful the internet now is at locating places by feeding their OS co-ordinates into a site such as UKstreetmap.com. Did you know that the first OS measured baseline was established and measured by General Roy in the 1780s? It was comprised of hundreds of ten foot long glass rods and was set up from Hampton to Heathrow. The end points can still be seen, represented by upended Napoleonic cannon (although the LHR one had to be moved as I believe it would otherwise have formed a rather awkward hazard in the middle of 27R). I seem to recall that Roy's measurement over the five miles or so was about six inches out according to modern survey methods!
Unfortunately the aircraft are now rather small, radio-controlled and make a noise far removed from their illustrious forebears.....
Still, it is good to see Hanworth still as open space, unlike Heston which is now mostly covered by the M4 Services.
Incidentally it is interesting to see how useful the internet now is at locating places by feeding their OS co-ordinates into a site such as UKstreetmap.com. Did you know that the first OS measured baseline was established and measured by General Roy in the 1780s? It was comprised of hundreds of ten foot long glass rods and was set up from Hampton to Heathrow. The end points can still be seen, represented by upended Napoleonic cannon (although the LHR one had to be moved as I believe it would otherwise have formed a rather awkward hazard in the middle of 27R). I seem to recall that Roy's measurement over the five miles or so was about six inches out according to modern survey methods!
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I'm sorry that I didn't see this thread in time to join you... having been brought up in Heston, and now living within spitting distance of Hanworth Air Park.. (close enough that my house has a covenant on it preventing me from building too high, due to aircraft)
I will have to visit Hounslow library (ahhh, my first saturday job was there) and buy the book, to accompany my little blue book about Heston Aerodrome, and my pictorial history of Feltham and Hanworth which has quite a few pictures of the airfield.
I am always keen to find out more about Heston and Hanworth, so if anyone has anything else....
Gents, on your meanderings across the Air Park, one trusts that you found the pill box and the large concrete slab (which I believe was a gun placement) I am also reliably informed that on a hot day you can see the outlines of the runways in the grass....
Chips
I will have to visit Hounslow library (ahhh, my first saturday job was there) and buy the book, to accompany my little blue book about Heston Aerodrome, and my pictorial history of Feltham and Hanworth which has quite a few pictures of the airfield.
I am always keen to find out more about Heston and Hanworth, so if anyone has anything else....
Gents, on your meanderings across the Air Park, one trusts that you found the pill box and the large concrete slab (which I believe was a gun placement) I am also reliably informed that on a hot day you can see the outlines of the runways in the grass....
Chips
"Trust Me"
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"Gents, on your meanderings across the Air Park, one trusts that you found the pill box and the large concrete slab (which I believe was a gun placement)"
Pillbox yes, concrete slab, maybe!! Could have been a concrete apron which is clearly shown in pix of the time.
"I am also reliably informed that on a hot day you can see the outlines of the runways in the grass...."
A nice idea, but unlikely I think. There is nothing apparent in pics of the time. Anyway, it's an airFIELD, so they just took off and landed into wind, anywhere.....luxury!!
Rgds
DOC
Pillbox yes, concrete slab, maybe!! Could have been a concrete apron which is clearly shown in pix of the time.
"I am also reliably informed that on a hot day you can see the outlines of the runways in the grass...."
A nice idea, but unlikely I think. There is nothing apparent in pics of the time. Anyway, it's an airFIELD, so they just took off and landed into wind, anywhere.....luxury!!
Rgds
DOC
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Heston Hanworth and Hounslow
Whilst searching web for stuff on Heston Aerodrome, I came across an intersting thread (2004,now closed...see http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthr...=151003&page=2) with DOC.400 and others visiting said sites looking for clues to the past.
I wish I had seen it earlier, I would love to have joined you, as I have spent many years researching Heston Hanworth and Hounslow Airfields/Areodromes.
At the end of the thread, "Mr Chips" mentions that he had heard that in the summer, runways could still be made out in the grass at Hanworth after 60 odd years, but others thought it unlikely.
Well he is not so far off ...... if you look carefuly at a Google Earth type site ( the one I use is http://www.flashearth.com ) & compare to ariel shots available on the web, you can make out the circles marked on the grass at both Hanworth and Hounslow!!
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.46....7&r=0&src=msa Should take you to Hounslow and http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.43...19&r=0&src=msa Should be Hanworth.... zoom in and you can even see the model planes mentioned elsewhere in the thread!!
Intersting forum BTW!!
I wish I had seen it earlier, I would love to have joined you, as I have spent many years researching Heston Hanworth and Hounslow Airfields/Areodromes.
At the end of the thread, "Mr Chips" mentions that he had heard that in the summer, runways could still be made out in the grass at Hanworth after 60 odd years, but others thought it unlikely.
Well he is not so far off ...... if you look carefuly at a Google Earth type site ( the one I use is http://www.flashearth.com ) & compare to ariel shots available on the web, you can make out the circles marked on the grass at both Hanworth and Hounslow!!
http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.46....7&r=0&src=msa Should take you to Hounslow and http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.43...19&r=0&src=msa Should be Hanworth.... zoom in and you can even see the model planes mentioned elsewhere in the thread!!
Intersting forum BTW!!
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Very interesting! Looking on flashearth for Heston I found this - http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=51.48....1&r=0&src=msa It looks like a hangar and it sits at an odd angle to all the other buildings. It also seems to match the one in this photo
taken in 1934.
If you swap from Microsoft VE to Googlearth on your Hanworth link then I fear that we have seen the last of this circle.
taken in 1934.If you swap from Microsoft VE to Googlearth on your Hanworth link then I fear that we have seen the last of this circle.
Hi there. Hanworth is a pet subject of mine, having lived next to it. It is certainly still big enough for a light aircraft to get into, as long as there are no goalposts up !
The house in the trees just North of the centre was the "Terminal". To the left are four blocks of flats that were built postwar. Behind them are 1930's bungalows, built single story as they were under the approach bath. Sadly, the only remaining small hangar is at the south end of Hanworth Airpark. The area to the northeast with all the buildings did have all the hangars on it but is now a "leisure complex". After the airfield fell out of use, they were the Aston Martin factory. I can remember my father teaching my mother to drive around the perimeter track.
Even the model aircraft are very restricted. Many years ago a local nimby got up a large local petition complaining about aircraft noise (not difficult within 2 mile of Heathrow). he used this to persuade the council to limit model flying hours.
The local pub is called The Airman. It is the only pub of that name in the UK. During WW11 the landlord's daughter married a test pilot called Seth-Smith, who sadly was killed. She then married another pilot who became Chief Pilot of The Queen's Flight. They are both still alive and well. Their son is a friend of mine, and he tells me that as a child he was given exhilarating rides around the track by the likes of Stirling, Moss, Mike Hawthorn and Denys Jenkinson. Lucky Man
The house in the trees just North of the centre was the "Terminal". To the left are four blocks of flats that were built postwar. Behind them are 1930's bungalows, built single story as they were under the approach bath. Sadly, the only remaining small hangar is at the south end of Hanworth Airpark. The area to the northeast with all the buildings did have all the hangars on it but is now a "leisure complex". After the airfield fell out of use, they were the Aston Martin factory. I can remember my father teaching my mother to drive around the perimeter track.
Even the model aircraft are very restricted. Many years ago a local nimby got up a large local petition complaining about aircraft noise (not difficult within 2 mile of Heathrow). he used this to persuade the council to limit model flying hours.
The local pub is called The Airman. It is the only pub of that name in the UK. During WW11 the landlord's daughter married a test pilot called Seth-Smith, who sadly was killed. She then married another pilot who became Chief Pilot of The Queen's Flight. They are both still alive and well. Their son is a friend of mine, and he tells me that as a child he was given exhilarating rides around the track by the likes of Stirling, Moss, Mike Hawthorn and Denys Jenkinson. Lucky Man
In the picture of Heston, the 'control tower' complex was used by CAA Southern Division until they moved to Aviation House at Gatwick (sometime in the '80s). I think it's been demolised now, if not fer christ's sake someone put a preservation order on it.
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The Heston Control Tower complex was demolished in 1978, and was recorded by a photographer form the City of London Museum, I have copies of the contact sheets, very sad.
The large hangar mentioned in Flap40's post was known as the Jackaman hangar and does in deed still stand, protected by a preservation order. There are some other hagers next to it, although they have been altered over the years.
The "odd angle" meant that the buildings, when viewed from the air, looked like an aeroplane in plan form, or an arrow, pointing North. This can still be seen in google earth pictures as the new buildings retain the profile. At the tip of the "arrow", sunken into the ground was the famous clock, 16ft in diameter... you can just see it in photo in Flap40's post.
The large hangar mentioned in Flap40's post was known as the Jackaman hangar and does in deed still stand, protected by a preservation order. There are some other hagers next to it, although they have been altered over the years.
The "odd angle" meant that the buildings, when viewed from the air, looked like an aeroplane in plan form, or an arrow, pointing North. This can still be seen in google earth pictures as the new buildings retain the profile. At the tip of the "arrow", sunken into the ground was the famous clock, 16ft in diameter... you can just see it in photo in Flap40's post.
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
if you look carefuly at a Google Earth type site ( the one I use is http://www.flashearth.com ) & compare to ariel shots available on the web, you can make out the circles marked on the grass at both Hanworth and Hounslow!!
In the case of Hanworth, have a look at the photo of the Graf Zeppelin over the aerodrome in 1932 http://www.cdrake.co.uk/Images/Felth...ark%201932.jpg.
You can orientate the flash aerial view to the photo using the shape of the house in the centre of the airfield, and confirm by checking the point on the perimeter where the Longford river goes underground (visible in the photo).
It is apparent that the white Airfield ring is in a very different place to the currently visible rings.
In the case of Hounslow, it would have been most peculiar to have put the ring so close to a corner of the field - the ring was normally located to mark the center of the landing area.
SD
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In the case of Hanworth, have a look at the photo of the Graf Zeppelin over the aerodrome in 1932 http://www.cdrake.co.uk/Images/Felth...ark%201932.jpg.
Ahhh.... but there was more than one circle at Hanworth!... and I quite agree the one in the picture you have linked to is in a completely different part of the airfield. The one I linked to is clearly to be seen in the picture on page 87 of the book referred to earlier in the post ('Coming in to Land' by Tim Sherwood. A Short History of Hounslow, Hanworth and Heston Aeroromes 1911-1946. Heritage Publications. ISBN 1899144307. £11.99. Available from Hounslow Library.)
The photograph shows a circle in white, to the left of an imaginary straight line drawn between the point where Park Road joins Hounslow Road and the "the house" on the island in the centre. This can be easily transposed onto the Flash earth image.
The "Hounslow Circle" can also be clearly seen with a letter "T" next to it in the picture on page 17 of the same publication.
Unfortunately I do not have a scanner (and I’m not sure how legal it would be) so I can’t post the pictures.....
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I thought the aeroplane in Flap 40's photo looked a little familiar!
I can also testifiy to the presence of an airfield ID disc (BC), still in the grass at Bicester. I blame it for all my bounced takeoffs and arrivals!
I note that the original reason for this thread was to organise a walk around the airfield locations. Does anyone fancy a repeat visit? I'd love to visit these locatiions with someone who knows what they are looking for!!
I can also testifiy to the presence of an airfield ID disc (BC), still in the grass at Bicester. I blame it for all my bounced takeoffs and arrivals!
I note that the original reason for this thread was to organise a walk around the airfield locations. Does anyone fancy a repeat visit? I'd love to visit these locatiions with someone who knows what they are looking for!!
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
I note that the original reason for this thread was to organise a walk around the airfield locations. Does anyone fancy a repeat visit? I'd love to visit these locatiions with someone who knows what they are looking for!!
Even less at Heston - only the entrance road and a hangar remain.
But Hanworth is very recognisable - lots still visible.
SD
Spoon PPRuNerist & Mad Inistrator
I meant to add that I think that there is more than just one hangar still extant at Heston. I believe that the entire "right wing" (looking North) - 5 or 6 hangars - are still largely as they were in 1939.
SD
SD
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I would be up for a walk of the sites... but work commitments would mean it would need to be after September 30th (our year-end!)
I now live in Worcester, but used to live locally and know all the sites quite well, I have amassed quite a collection of photos, maps etc, which would allow us to determine the position of long gone buildings etc.
There are a few other remnants left at Heston, the parachute store and other miscellaneous small buildings still exist, and there is quite a large part of one of the old buildings on the west side near the old Comper factory that I have never quite been able to place on old photos, but I'm sure it is original.
The jewel is however the Jackaman hangar... there are some good old pic’s of it and some interesting text about Woodason's (model makers) who used to be on the site here.. http://www.collectair.com/woodason.html have a read it is very good and would provide some opportunities for then and now photo's
There are still things to see at Hanworth, especially the house. There was a "control tower" it was actually the corner of one of the old Whiteheads factories but glazed on two sides (a bit like Hatfield?) last time I visited, but it went a few years ago with the development of the leisure complex.
There is little to see on Hounslow Heath, although in other threads on this forum I did see discussion about the old Railway marshalling yards and what someone thought was the Hounslow Heath Control Tower (there wasn’t one) but was in fact part of the marshalling yard. Not sure if that is still there, it was last time I walked the site as was the bases of the locomotive turntables.
I now live in Worcester, but used to live locally and know all the sites quite well, I have amassed quite a collection of photos, maps etc, which would allow us to determine the position of long gone buildings etc.
There are a few other remnants left at Heston, the parachute store and other miscellaneous small buildings still exist, and there is quite a large part of one of the old buildings on the west side near the old Comper factory that I have never quite been able to place on old photos, but I'm sure it is original.
The jewel is however the Jackaman hangar... there are some good old pic’s of it and some interesting text about Woodason's (model makers) who used to be on the site here.. http://www.collectair.com/woodason.html have a read it is very good and would provide some opportunities for then and now photo's
There are still things to see at Hanworth, especially the house. There was a "control tower" it was actually the corner of one of the old Whiteheads factories but glazed on two sides (a bit like Hatfield?) last time I visited, but it went a few years ago with the development of the leisure complex.
There is little to see on Hounslow Heath, although in other threads on this forum I did see discussion about the old Railway marshalling yards and what someone thought was the Hounslow Heath Control Tower (there wasn’t one) but was in fact part of the marshalling yard. Not sure if that is still there, it was last time I walked the site as was the bases of the locomotive turntables.
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I grew up on a British Airways housing estate that was built on the north side of Heston airfield (North Hyde Lane).
The remains of the airfield were my playground, and indeed there was still an isolated hangar right on the corner of my street that we occasionally used to play in. It was being used as some kind of HGV depot as I recall.
I also remember getting a metal detector for christmas one year, and scouting round an old pill box lookig for bullets or the remains of a Spitfire!
I used to attend a scout group that was in a wooden hut in the corner of what was then the Speedbird club, but was later called the Concorde club; social club of BOAC/British airways staff.
There used to be the remains of an old tail dragger outside the scout hut, probably an Auster or something similar. I wonder what happened to that?
I've place-marked these places on Google Earth but I've no idea how to post the link here.....
The remains of the airfield were my playground, and indeed there was still an isolated hangar right on the corner of my street that we occasionally used to play in. It was being used as some kind of HGV depot as I recall.
I also remember getting a metal detector for christmas one year, and scouting round an old pill box lookig for bullets or the remains of a Spitfire!
I used to attend a scout group that was in a wooden hut in the corner of what was then the Speedbird club, but was later called the Concorde club; social club of BOAC/British airways staff.
There used to be the remains of an old tail dragger outside the scout hut, probably an Auster or something similar. I wonder what happened to that?
I've place-marked these places on Google Earth but I've no idea how to post the link here.....
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There was a blister hangar still in existence up to the late 60s early 70s that stood in the corner of the junction of Convent Way and North Hyde Lane, see
The Airfields Of Greater London Heston
and zoom in to the center of the northern boundary.
The odd 5 sided shape of tarmac is on the spot, but you can just make out the original dispersal as the top of a "hexagonal scar" on the grass partly obscured by the tarmac. Would this have been the hangar?
Where was the scout hut? A semi derelict Cierva Autogiro, G-AHMJ used to be seen in a yard owned by Aeradio Ltd to the North side of HAP and was owned by the local Scouts (or Air Cadets?) and was restored and is viewable at Airliners.net
see Aviation Photos: G-AHMJ
The Airfields Of Greater London Heston
and zoom in to the center of the northern boundary.
The odd 5 sided shape of tarmac is on the spot, but you can just make out the original dispersal as the top of a "hexagonal scar" on the grass partly obscured by the tarmac. Would this have been the hangar?
Where was the scout hut? A semi derelict Cierva Autogiro, G-AHMJ used to be seen in a yard owned by Aeradio Ltd to the North side of HAP and was owned by the local Scouts (or Air Cadets?) and was restored and is viewable at Airliners.net
see Aviation Photos: G-AHMJ
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I too was in 16th Hounslow (Heathrow) Air Scouts in the mid 70's. The scout hut was in the north west corner. Outside was an ex-army?/air force? auster which apparently had been flown in. Always wondered what happened to it.
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The Auster was likely to have been AOP9 XN435 which, according to my records, was with the Hestton CCF at the Speedbird Club from around August 1973. It was allocated the registration G-BGBU 8.11.78. The registration was cancelled in 1990 by the CAA but the frame may still be stored somewhere.