Cirencester flying sites
Note: This map only shows the position of Cirencester within the UK.
See also CIRENCESTER RACECOURSE FIELDS
CIRENCESTER: Temporary Landing Grounds (See the CIRENCESTER ABBEY GROUNDS & DEER PARK listing)
Operated by: Monsieur H Salmet
Location: The Abbey grounds just E of Grove Lane and the Deer Park to the west.
Period of operation: 25th to 27th June 1912 only?
NOTES: I have also found two other locations Mnsr Salmet used in 1913. It appears Gustaf Hamel also visited Cirencester in 1913, so did he use the Grove Lane or Deer Park location too?
CIRENCESTER: Military aerodrome
Military user: WW.1, Royal Flying Corps
33 Reserve Sqdn (Australian)
Location: ?
Period of operation: 1917 only?
CIRENCESTER: Civil Landing Ground
Operated by: Mrs Trevor Price, Welsh Way, Cirencester
Location: By the Gloucester Road, 2nm N to NW of Cirencester town centre. NE of the A417, opposite the junction to Daglingworth
Period of operation: 1930s only?
Runway: Max landing run: 457 grass (Others claim that in 1933 it was: 366 grass)
CIRENCESTER RACECOURSE FIELDS
NOTES:
Cirencester was the 71st venue for Alan Cobham’s 1929 Municipal Aerodrome Campaign, arriving here in September. This Tour started in May and ended in October with one hundred and seven venues planned to br visited, Mostly in England, two were in Wales and eight in Scotland. See the listing for CIRENCESTER RACECOURSE FIELDS for more information.
The aircraft Cobham used was the DH.61 ' Giant Moth' G-AAEV named the 'Youth of Britain'. The punishing schedule he set himself seems astonishing today. See STOCKTON-on-TEES for more information. I can also highly recommend reading his memoirs in 'A Time To Fly'.
FLYING CIRCUS VENUES
Venue 6th May 1932 for Sir Alan Cobham’s National Aviation Day UK Display Tour?
Venue 17th April 1935 for Sir Alan Cobham’s UK Tour?
AN A.A. APPROVED LANDING GROUND
Listed in the ‘AA Landing Grounds’ publications of the 1930s as an approved location. It appears, in 1933 at least, that no hangar was available and fuel and a taxi service could be obtained from Steels (Cirencester Garage) and the nearest phone box was at Stratton Post Office. This would have been fairly close by.
The apparent discrepancy in the maximum landing run can probably be explained because the runway (or longest runway) was lengthened during the 1930s. This is still often a feature today regarding private airstrips especially which often vary in length and width over a period of years.
Michael T Holder
This comment was written on: 2020-05-23 11:26:41From the Gloucestershire Chronicle – Saturday 27 Jul 1912 – report of flying visit of M Salmet to Gloucester. He arrived at the Port Ham to the west of the city and next to the river. He had arrived from Stratford. After Gloucester he went on to Leckhampton by Cheltenham and then to the Abbey Grounds for a display at Cirencester followed by Stroud and Swindon. Abbey Grounds – 51 43 09” 001 57 59”W. The Abbey is close to the centre of town and its grounds extend to the NE.
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