Denbury
DENBURY: Provincial aerodrome & airport
The local view was obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and areas views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Note: Both of these pictures were kindly provided by Maurice J Wickstead. Incidentally, the Jack Payne orchestra was very popular in the 1930s and this arrival at Denbury would have been, in publicity terms certainly, not too far removed from a current top band arriving in an executive jet today.
Airline users 1930s: Provincial Airways, Railway Air Services
Note: Although plans were announced on the 27th May 1935 by Railway Air Services to commence a service from the Midlands, via Cardiff and Denbury to Plymouth, it now seems unclear to some if this particular route was actually started? I think they did, see my notes below.
Location: Just NE of Denbury village, about 2.5nm SW of Newton Abbott town centre and roughly 6nm NW of Torquay town centre
Period of operation: 1935 (opened 06.04.35 and closed in September, when Provincial ceased trading?)
Note: Although officially opened on the 6th April 1935, performed by the Mayor of Torquay, Mr A d'Espiney and the Mayoress, with Mr Harry Kent (Managing Director) and Air Commodore Peregrine Fellowes (Director) representing Provincial Airways, it appears that the airline started operations, from CROYDON and EASTLEIGH (Southampton) initially on the 1st of March. The opening ceremony included demonstrations of aerobatics and crazy flying plus about twenty visiting aircraft.
NOTES: Venue 18th August for Sir Alan Cobham’s 1935 National Aviation Day No.1 Tour of the UK. This being the 48th venue. This tour commenced at Titchfield Road, Fareham, (HAMPSHIRE), on the 12th April 1935 and after visiting 72 venues, split into two Tours on the 1st July.
For the 1935 ‘season’ Provincial Airways switched operations here from HALDON which was often plagued with poor weather. During the summer Provincial stopped off here twice a day on their service from CROYDON via Portsmouth (?), Southampton (EASTLEIGH), Bournemouth (CHRISTCHURCH), Plymouth (ROBOROUGH), Newquay (?) and Penzance.
This route was served by three Provincial Airways DH.84 Dragons, G-ACBW ‘Neptune’, G-ACDL ‘Juno’ and G-ACKD ‘Saturn’. It also appears that Railway Air Services defected to DENBURY from HALDON during 1935 using the DH.84 Dragons G-ADDI ‘City of Cardiff’ and G-ADDJ ‘City of Plymouth’ working a Nottingham (TOLLERTON) via Birmingham (CASTLE BROMWICH?), Cardiff (PENGHAM MOORS?) and Plymouth (ROBOROUGH) route. The last service running on the 14th September 1935.
We do of course need to remember that back in those days, a 'regional airport' quite often consisted of a large suitable field, a hut for a 'terminal', and a windsock. No hangar, no maintenance facilities and usually no fuel.
JUST ANOTHER SMALL NOTE
I will happily admit to being really quite confusicated regarding exactly where this location actually was. We have Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide' for solving this back in 2022. He found information that in 1939 a military camp (Rawlinson Barracks) was built on the site, remaining in use until 1969. In 1973 the site was cleared and HM Prison Channings Wood was built.
Strikes me as being somewhat ironic that due to the diligence, enterprise and perseverance of our criminal classes, usually taking care to be caught and 'banged up', in ever increasing numbers, that I can now positively identify the location.
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