Cherkley Court
CHERKLEY COURT: Private airstrip and ELG (Emergency Landing Ground)
(Aka THE GALLOPS and COCKSHOT WOOD)
Note: These maps and pictures were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder.
Operated by: Lord Beaverbrook
Location: 0.5nm S to SE of the grand house, Cherkley Court. About 2nm SE to SSE of Leatherhead town centre and 3nm NNE of Dorking town centre
Period of operation: During WW2 certainly, possibly civil use before in the 1930s (?) and perhaps for a shortish period after?
Runway: 05/23 900 grass
Picture obtained from Surrey Hills website
NOTES: I have to thank Mr Graham Frost for pointing out this airstrip. And of course Mike Holder for the maps and pics. Both great friends of this 'Guide'.
One aspect seems of note, and that is, even in 2020, the airstrip is still clearly visible. It appears that Winston Churchill used to fly into here, from time to time during WW2 to visit Max Aitken (Lord Beaverbrook). In a RAF DH89A Dragon Rapide perhaps? But from where? They clearly got on well together and such a visit would no doubt have been a brief but welcome rest from the War Office in Whitehall. No doubt a tipple or three was passed around.
Max Aitken (1879 - 1964), a Canadian, had an extraordinary knack for making money, he was a millionaire by the time he was thirty but decided that he preferred the UK to Canada, buying Cherkley Court around 1912. He had many business interests but is probably best remembered in the UK for owning the Daily Express an Evening Standard newspapers. However, for this 'Guide' he has to be marked out when Churchill appointed him to be Minister for Aircraft Production from May 1940 to May 1941. A period which of course included the so called 'Battle of Britain'.
As pointed out several times elsewhere in this 'Guide' it was nothing of the sort, barely involving most the U.K., nearly all of the fierce fighting taking place in the south-east and south coast of England.
But, in this 'Guide' we have 'other fish to fry'. Did Lord Beaverbook have an airstrip here other than in WW2? If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome.
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