Abandoned & Little-Known Airfields
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Location: Warlingham
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Lost airfields of Surrey
I retired to Warlingham in Surrey having grown up next door to Biggin Hill and then living near to Croydon airport and being active in model flying there and later Hang-gliding and occasional light aircraft out of Biggin and Redhill. So aviation is sort of in my blood.
Anyhow, I was amazed to find that there are three lost airfields within walking distance of my house. Hamsey Green ( or Gardner ) airstrip from 1931 was an RAF training unit briefly during WW2 and appears in several books and photos from a 1933 flypast. It was used by 162 ATC up to 1953 and was allegedly in use up to the 60's - I have seen another forum post where a Biplane was apparently hangered and flown out of there. The Hangar apparently burned down in 1975. Located N51.3136 W-0.0413889
The second is more mysterious. Kennel Farm to the South and in Chelsham parish ( N51°18.82 W000°02.48 ) is larger but devoid of any signs beyond crop marks showing the characteristic and absolutely unmistakable 'A' runway layout. But that is it - nothing beyond a couple of listings and no dates. Locals seem to confuse this with a decoy strip in Woldingham operated from 1940-1943 ( very near to the Hang-Gliding school I helped start in the early 70's ) which was used to draw German aircraft away from Kenley. But this was clearly a busy field presumably between the wars and not used by the RAF. PS. Added 13th May There are Video's on Youtube posted by Green Dragons showing winch launches of Hang-gliders and Parasails.
*The third field just north of Oxted is a real mystery because it appears nowhere in any listing but came up on a Google earth trawl. It is bounded by the M25 to the North, Gordons Way to the East and Barrow Green Road to the South. No crop marking but the perimeter track is distinctive and there is what looks like the remains of a hard standing set within an octagonal parking area. A track or possibly stream or open culvert bisects the lower eastern part so either this is later or it never was an airfield. Anyone got any info / clues / photos of any of the above? *( I have now been told this wasn't a wartime or disused airfield but the Helipad for Mohammed Al-Fayed's helicopter which he used to commute )
Anyhow, I was amazed to find that there are three lost airfields within walking distance of my house. Hamsey Green ( or Gardner ) airstrip from 1931 was an RAF training unit briefly during WW2 and appears in several books and photos from a 1933 flypast. It was used by 162 ATC up to 1953 and was allegedly in use up to the 60's - I have seen another forum post where a Biplane was apparently hangered and flown out of there. The Hangar apparently burned down in 1975. Located N51.3136 W-0.0413889
The second is more mysterious. Kennel Farm to the South and in Chelsham parish ( N51°18.82 W000°02.48 ) is larger but devoid of any signs beyond crop marks showing the characteristic and absolutely unmistakable 'A' runway layout. But that is it - nothing beyond a couple of listings and no dates. Locals seem to confuse this with a decoy strip in Woldingham operated from 1940-1943 ( very near to the Hang-Gliding school I helped start in the early 70's ) which was used to draw German aircraft away from Kenley. But this was clearly a busy field presumably between the wars and not used by the RAF. PS. Added 13th May There are Video's on Youtube posted by Green Dragons showing winch launches of Hang-gliders and Parasails.
*The third field just north of Oxted is a real mystery because it appears nowhere in any listing but came up on a Google earth trawl. It is bounded by the M25 to the North, Gordons Way to the East and Barrow Green Road to the South. No crop marking but the perimeter track is distinctive and there is what looks like the remains of a hard standing set within an octagonal parking area. A track or possibly stream or open culvert bisects the lower eastern part so either this is later or it never was an airfield. Anyone got any info / clues / photos of any of the above? *( I have now been told this wasn't a wartime or disused airfield but the Helipad for Mohammed Al-Fayed's helicopter which he used to commute )
Last edited by TerryhaynesPPR; 13th May 2017 at 13:31.
The third field just north of Oxted is a real mystery because it appears nowhere in any listing but came up on a Google earth trawl. It is bounded by the M25 to the North, Gordons Way to the East and Barrow Green Road to the South. No crop marking but the perimeter track is distinctive and there is what looks like the remains of a hard standing set within an octagonal parking area. A track or possibly stream or open culvert bisects the lower eastern part so either this is later or it never was an airfield. Anyone got any info / clues / photos of any of the above?
I used to fly out of Redhill and studied it several times; I assumed the hardened peri track was maybe where his descendants could drive vehicles legally on private property.
By way of compensation however, take a look at N51 20' 12.6" W000 08' 49" just south of the Wallington smallholdings and south of Little Woodcote Lane; just east of a small golf course there appears to be an airstrip running roughly N/S.
Last edited by chevvron; 30th Apr 2017 at 01:07.
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Terry, Kennel Farm was frequently used for parascending activities in recent years. Saw a Jodel at very low level over Warlingham a year or two back, think he may have been visiting the strip.
Chevvron, the Woodcote Park strip may have been used by a weightshift type microlight, there often used to be one buzzing around the western side of Purley on fine evenings. Not seen it for several years though.
Chevvron, the Woodcote Park strip may have been used by a weightshift type microlight, there often used to be one buzzing around the western side of Purley on fine evenings. Not seen it for several years though.
That location at Farleigh was used as a Q-type decoy airfield in 1941, initially to 'protect' Kenley before becoming a 'Starfish' (ie permanent) site , along with Woldingham, South Godstone and Walton Heath. to dummy raids away from London.
As far as the Oxted site is concerned, you might like to look at the surrounding estate and do a bit of Googling!
Beaten too it by a long way (didn't see the new page!).
As chevvron says - Oxted was Al Fayeds pad, but there was a big ding-dong about oil extraction going on (look for appeal court rulings etc) in the same area.
As far as the Oxted site is concerned, you might like to look at the surrounding estate and do a bit of Googling!
Beaten too it by a long way (didn't see the new page!).
As chevvron says - Oxted was Al Fayeds pad, but there was a big ding-dong about oil extraction going on (look for appeal court rulings etc) in the same area.
Last edited by Shackman; 30th Apr 2017 at 17:26. Reason: Far too late
I am a bit surprised that, in 8 pages, no-one has mentioned that focal point of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, Greenham Common. It is still a decent visual waypoint if you're passing that way.
I spent the last few years of my working life on the old Portsmouth airfield as a tenant of Portsmouth Aviation Ltd who started up the airfield to operate a service to the Isle of Wight. They are still very much involved in defence work.
I spent the last few years of my working life on the old Portsmouth airfield as a tenant of Portsmouth Aviation Ltd who started up the airfield to operate a service to the Isle of Wight. They are still very much involved in defence work.
