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De Havilland Albatross
Fortuna alongside
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon and London Borough of Sutton. It was the main airport for
London before it was replaced by
RAF Northolt,
London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
It originated as two adjacent World War I airfields -
Beddington Aerodrome, one of a number of small airfields around London, which had been created for protection against the
Zeppelin raids in about May 1915, and Waddon Aerodrome of 1918, a test-flight aerodrome adjoining National Aircraft Factory No 1. Croydon Airport's Aerodrome Hotel is part of
Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration plan.
In the 1920s
At the end of that war, the two airfields were combined into London's official airport as the gateway for all international flights to and from the capital.
Croydon Aerodrome opened on 29 March 1920.
It stimulated a growth in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations being Paris, Amsterdam and Rotterdam. In 1923 Berlin flights were added. It was the operating base for Imperial Airways, remembered in the road name Imperial Way on the site today.
In the mid
1920s the airfield was extended, some adjacent roads such as Plough Lane being closed to allow heavier airliners to land and depart safely. A new complex of buildings was constructed adjoining Purley Way, including the first purpose-designed air terminal in the world, the Aerodrome Hotel and extensive hangars, at a cost of £267,000. Although the first day of operation using the new building and layout was 30 January, the official opening was not until
2 May 1928.
The buildings
The terminal building, the booking hall within it with its gallery balustraded in the geometrical design typical of the period, and the Aerodrome Hotel were built in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and
1930s. A further item that caught the eye of visitor and traveller alike was the
time zone tower in the booking hall with its dials depicting the times in different parts of the world.
Aviators, pioneers, and aircraft
The aerodrome was known the world over, its fame being spread by the many aviators and pioneers who touched down at Croydon, such as
- Alan Cobham, who flew from Croydon to Cape Town and back in 1925-6;
- Charles Lindbergh, who flew into Croydon in 1927 shortly after completing the first solo trans-Atlantic flight;
- Bert Hinkler, who made the first flight from Croydon to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia in 1928;
- Charles Kingsford Smith, who beat Hinkler's record;
- Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly from Croydon to Australia, later to return to Croydon to a jubilant welcome.
The major aircraft used by Imperial Airways were the Handley Page HP42 and HP45 four-engined bi-planes Hannibal G-AAGX series and
Heracles G-AAXC series. The first monoplane airliners used by Imperial Airways were the Armstrong Whitwoth Atalantas, intnended for use on the African routes. In 1938 larger four-engined monoplanes, Armstrong Whitworth Ensign series (G-ADSR) came into service.
World War II
In November 1938 the Neville Chamberlain government decided that Imperial Airways, which served Empire routes, should be merged with
British Airways Ltd, which served European routes. The new company was known as British Overseas Airways Corporation,
BOAC.
British Airways Ltd operated from Croydon only from March 1937 to May 1938, when it moved to
Heston Aerodrome.
Citing “The Great Days, Croydon Airport 1928-1939”, Cluett, Nash, Learmonth, p190:
When war was declared in September
1939, Croydon Airport was closedto civil aviation. It played a vital role as a fighter station during the
Battle of Britain and was attacked in the first major raid over theLondon area. Factories in its immediate vicinity were almost destroyedwith the loss of six airmen and over 60 civilians. In 1944 Croydon became the base of Royal Air Force Transport Command, and in due course civil aircraft operations began again. In February 1946, the airport returned to civilian control.
Later developments and final closure
Gradually it became clear that with technical advances, post-war airliners were going to be larger and the use of airports serving capital cities would intensify. Croydon had no room for further expansion and would shortly be too small to meet evident travel demands. Heathrow was therefore designated as London's airport and a decision to close Croydon was made in
1952.
Blackbushe Airport in Hampshire and RAF Northolt in
Middlesex also served airlines operating European scheduled flights during the 1950s. Croydon's last scheduled flight departed on
30 September 1959.
Much of the site has been built over, but some of the terminal buildings near Purley Way (the
A23 road) are still visible, clearly identifiable as to their former purpose. A De Havilland Heron (a small propeller-driven British airliner of the 1950s), is currently (2006) displayed outside Airport House on struts flanking the entry path. The Heron is painted as G-AOXL of
Morton Air Services, which was the aircraft that flew the last passenger flight from Croydon on 30 September
1959 in aviation. A
Tiger Moth in RAF training scheme livery is suspended within the preserved booking hall, which functions as a dining room when required. A memorial to those lost in the
Battle of Britain stands slightly to the south.
Although Croydon has long ceased operation, the two ends of Plough Lane have never been reunited, the area having been developed instead into parkland, playing fields and the
Roundshaw with its roads aptly named after
aviators and
aircraft.
The area is still known as Croydon Airport for transport purposes and was the location for Croydon Water Palace.
External links
- Imperial Airways home page
- Imperial Airways Croydon Airport page
- Croydon Airport Society
- Croydon council local history page about the airport
- Handley Page HP42
- Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign
- Various photo's from Control Towers website
- Croydon Control Tower
- Croydon Airport Homepage
- Croydon Online
References
- Bob Learmonth, Joanna Nash,Douglas Cluett (ed)(1977). "The First Croydon Airport 1915-1928)", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-9503224-3-1
- Douglas Cluett, Joanna Nash, Bob Learmonth (1980). "Croydon Airport 1928 - 1939, The Great Days", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services, first published 1980. ISBN 0-9503224-8-2
- Charles C. Dickson.(1983) "Croydon Airport Remembered", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-12-8
- Douglas Cluett, Joanna Bogle (Nash), Bob Learmonth (1984). Croydon Airport and The Battle for Britain, London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-11-X
De Havilland Albatross
Fortuna alongside
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of London Borough of Croydon and
London Borough of Sutton. It was the main airport for London before it was replaced by
RAF Northolt, London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
It originated as two adjacent World War I airfields -
Beddington Aerodrome, one of a number of small airfields around London, which had been created for protection against the Zeppelin raids in about May
1915, and Waddon Aerodrome of 1918, a test-flight aerodrome adjoining National Aircraft Factory No 1. Croydon Airport's Aerodrome Hotel is part of
Croydon Vision 2020 regeneration plan.
In the 1920s
At the end of that war, the two airfields were combined into London's official airport as the gateway for all international flights to and from the capital.
Croydon Aerodrome opened on 29 March
1920.
It stimulated a growth in regular scheduled flights carrying passengers, mail and freight, the first destinations being Paris, Amsterdam and
Rotterdam. In 1923 Berlin flights were added. It was the operating base for Imperial Airways, remembered in the road name Imperial Way on the site today.
In the mid
1920s the airfield was extended, some adjacent roads such as Plough Lane being closed to allow heavier airliners to land and depart safely. A new complex of buildings was constructed adjoining
Purley Way, including the first purpose-designed air terminal in the world, the Aerodrome Hotel and extensive hangars, at a cost of £267,000. Although the first day of operation using the new building and layout was
30 January, the official opening was not until
2 May 1928.
The buildings
The terminal building, the booking hall within it with its gallery balustraded in the geometrical design typical of the period, and the Aerodrome Hotel were built in the Art Deco style of the 1920s and
1930s. A further item that caught the eye of visitor and traveller alike was the
time zone tower in the booking hall with its dials depicting the times in different parts of the world.
Aviators, pioneers, and aircraft
The aerodrome was known the world over, its fame being spread by the many aviators and pioneers who touched down at Croydon, such as
- Alan Cobham, who flew from Croydon to Cape Town and back in 1925-6;
- Charles Lindbergh, who flew into Croydon in 1927 shortly after completing the first solo trans-Atlantic flight;
- Bert Hinkler, who made the first flight from Croydon to Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia in 1928;
- Charles Kingsford Smith, who beat Hinkler's record;
- Amy Johnson, the first woman to fly from Croydon to Australia, later to return to Croydon to a jubilant welcome.
The major aircraft used by
Imperial Airways were the
Handley Page HP42 and HP45 four-engined bi-planes Hannibal G-AAGX series and Heracles G-AAXC series. The first monoplane airliners used by Imperial Airways were the Armstrong Whitwoth Atalantas, intnended for use on the African routes. In 1938 larger four-engined monoplanes,
Armstrong Whitworth Ensign series (G-ADSR) came into service.
World War II
In November 1938 the Neville Chamberlain government decided that
Imperial Airways, which served Empire routes, should be merged with
British Airways Ltd, which served European routes. The new company was known as
British Overseas Airways Corporation, BOAC.
British Airways Ltd operated from Croydon only from March 1937 to May 1938, when it moved to Heston Aerodrome.
Citing “The Great Days, Croydon Airport 1928-1939”, Cluett, Nash, Learmonth, p190:
When war was declared in September 1939, Croydon Airport was closedto civil aviation. It played a vital role as a fighter station during the
Battle of Britain and was attacked in the first major raid over theLondon area. Factories in its immediate vicinity were almost destroyedwith the loss of six airmen and over 60 civilians. In 1944 Croydon became the base of
Royal Air Force Transport Command, and in due course civil aircraft operations began again. In February
1946, the airport returned to civilian control.
Later developments and final closure
Gradually it became clear that with technical advances, post-war airliners were going to be larger and the use of airports serving capital cities would intensify. Croydon had no room for further expansion and would shortly be too small to meet evident travel demands. Heathrow was therefore designated as London's airport and a decision to close Croydon was made in 1952.
Blackbushe Airport in
Hampshire and RAF Northolt in Middlesex also served airlines operating European scheduled flights during the 1950s. Croydon's last scheduled flight departed on
30 September 1959.
Much of the site has been built over, but some of the terminal buildings near Purley Way (the A23 road) are still visible, clearly identifiable as to their former purpose. A
De Havilland Heron (a small propeller-driven British airliner of the
1950s), is currently (2006) displayed outside Airport House on struts flanking the entry path. The Heron is painted as G-AOXL of Morton Air Services, which was the aircraft that flew the last passenger flight from Croydon on 30 September 1959 in aviation. A Tiger Moth in RAF training scheme livery is suspended within the preserved booking hall, which functions as a dining room when required. A memorial to those lost in the
Battle of Britain stands slightly to the south.
Although Croydon has long ceased operation, the two ends of Plough Lane have never been reunited, the area having been developed instead into parkland, playing fields and the
Roundshaw with its roads aptly named after aviators and aircraft.
The area is still known as Croydon Airport for transport purposes and was the location for
Croydon Water Palace.
External links
- Imperial Airways home page
- Imperial Airways Croydon Airport page
- Croydon Airport Society
- Croydon council local history page about the airport
- Handley Page HP42
- Armstrong Whitworth AW27 Ensign
- Various photo's from Control Towers website
- Croydon Control Tower
- Croydon Airport Homepage
- Croydon Online
References
- Bob Learmonth, Joanna Nash,Douglas Cluett (ed)(1977). "The First Croydon Airport 1915-1928)", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-9503224-3-1
- Douglas Cluett, Joanna Nash, Bob Learmonth (1980). "Croydon Airport 1928 - 1939, The Great Days", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services, first published 1980. ISBN 0-9503224-8-2
- Charles C. Dickson.(1983) "Croydon Airport Remembered", London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-12-8
- Douglas Cluett, Joanna Bogle (Nash), Bob Learmonth (1984). Croydon Airport and The Battle for Britain, London Borough of Sutton Libraries and Arts Services. ISBN 0-907335-11-X
www.croydonairport.org.uk
Croydon Airport
Imperial Airways - Croydon Airport Menu
The history of the world famous Imperial Airways and its aircraft. ... Croydon Airport and Imperial Airways were synonymous with each other. Both epitomised the golden age of ...
History Section - Croydon Airport
History Section ... Croydon Airport 'The fame of Croydon Airport is world-wide. When his Majesty ascended to the throne twenty-five years ago, the site occupied by the aerodrome ...
Croydon Airport Model Flying Club - Home
Croydon Airport Model Flying Club Thursday October 02, 2008 "I can see you fly. You are an angel with wings, high above the ground!" (traditional haiku poem)
Croydon Airport & RAF Croydon Airfield
1959 Catalina N5593V at Croydon, 1960 this aircraft was shot down by Bedouins in Saudi Arabia and the remains still lie on the beach (© Peter Jones)
Croydon Airport Society Membership
Croydon Airport & RAF Croydon Airfield
1. 1916-27 Air traffic control building not known 2. 1928 Croydon Airport terminal building and control tower
Imperial Airways - Croydon Airport Visitor Centre
The history of the world famous Imperial Airways and its aircraft. ... The Croydon Airport Visitor Centre was opened in October 2000 and tells the story of the Airport.
Croydon Airport - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Croydon Airport was an airport in South London which straddled the boundary between what are now the London boroughs of Croydon and Sutton. Croydon was the first airport in the ...
Croydon Airport Society
