I first came across Hough End Aerodrome while reading articles by Nora Templar* who lived at Dog House Farm for 47 years.
She remembered “the landing of the first small aeroplane in the fields, the forerunner of many between 1916 and 1918. Manchester’s first aerodrome was built by the Government at Hough End.
The first planes were delivered by train. Pilots came in low over the Dog House chimneys and waved from their Avro’s and Handley Pages.” **
It may well be that the plane that took our first picture of the aerodrome had already flown over Nora's home. It is a wonderful picture showing not only the hangers and admin buildings but a military aircraft on the ground.
The aerodrome was on what is now Hough End Playing Fields and was opened in May 1918 by the War Department for the assembly and delivery of aircraft to the RAF.
The planes were built by A.V. Roe & Company at Newton Heath and the National Aircraft Factory No 2 at Heaton Chapel and were brought in sections by railway to the Alexander Park station which was just 300 yards away.
After the war it became a civilian airfield and from 1922 flew a service down to Croydon Airport near London, and as Nora remembered was used by aircraft competing in the King's Cup Race air races in 1922 and 1923. “There were also a number of flying displays at the aerodrome and the Lancashire Aero Club, the oldest flying club in Britain, was formed at and operated from Alexandra Park until 1924, when it moved to Woodford Aerodrome.”***
But the aerodrome closed in 1924. Like our brick works it had been given a set life by the Egerton estate who leased the land on condition that it ceased being used five years after the end of the war. So on August 24th 1924 the place closed and the hangers and workshops were demolished.
Today nothing remains save two plaques recording the presence of the aerodrome. One in the sports pavilion at Hough End Playing Fields and the other in the grounds of No. 184 (South Manchester) Squadron, Air Cadets in Hough End Crescent.
Pictures; courtesy of Nora Templar and now in the Lloyd collection
*http://chorltonhistory.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Nora%20Templar
**Chorlton Journal 1977
***http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandra_Park_Aerodrome_(Manchester)
There were corrugated shelters and other buildings at Turn Moss ... Do you know what they were ? I add thought they were Hangers
ReplyDeleteNo but someone wii
DeleteI have a feeling there used to be barrage balloons in the war to prevent Trafford Park from being bombed.
DeleteThe book 'Manchester Airport Through Time' refers to the construction of Alexandra Park Aerodrome in 1918. It goes on to state 'A Relief Landing Ground was established a mile away at Turn Moss, Stretford.' Manchester Libraries have a 1927 aerial view (m67798) which is said to show this – but there are no hangars, see https://images.manchester.gov.uk/web/objects/common/webmedia.php?irn=55705&reftable=ecatalogue&refirn=53973 A heavy anti aircraft battery site was based at Turn Moss during WW2, so the previous comment would refer to this period. The War Office finally gave up the site in 1955.
ReplyDeleteShame they couldnt extend it into the main airport. Would have been a lot handier!
ReplyDeleteI find it a little ironic that the people fighting to ‘save Hough End fields’ present it as a oasis of wildlife and greenery forever present and gifted by the beneficent goodness of Lord Egerton. Nothing of the sort of course just another part of the ever changing and developing landscape of a dynamic and growing Manchester. It’s been an airport and as well as brick works and temporary housing estate. Many of the campaigners will live in houses, built for profit by developer using the brickworks on what were once green fields and use the current airport again built on agricultural land.
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