Fellgate
FELLGATE: Planned aerodrome/airport
In compiling a 'Guide' such as this, which of course is devoted to at least try and record as many flying sites in the UK as possible, it would seem remiss not to give at least one example, illustrating the fact that several if not many fairly major aerodromes and indeed airports reach a planning stage - but never get much further.
In the south east of England, there are notably FAIRLOP during the 1930s, and much more recently the proposed major new airport for London to be built in the Thames Estuary. Surely a non starter and very much a 'pie-in-the-sky' notion.
Regarding the proposed joint aerodrome/airport at FELLGATE, to be shared jointly by Newcastle and Sunderland, and mooted in 1937, this does of course raise some interesting questions. Mainly of course; did the proposers have no conception that Britain was in the process of gearing up for another major war with Germany? Surprising perhaps, to find no mention of this in the newspaper article published in the Newcastle Journal on the 18th December 1937, less than two years before that war was declared on the 1st September 1939.
It can hardly be claimed that the Germans hadn't given prior notice of their broader intentions, having been building up their military forces almost from the time they came into power in March 1933. Indeed, it now appears that British Intelligence were fully aware of what was going on in Germany, and many far-sighted people across the board, including industry, were already making plans for gearing up - fearing that another major European war was inevitable.
We also need to remember that the UK was just barely starting to recover from the Great Depression, popularly known as the Great Slump, and for industrialists this impending disaster was great news - a large war is a major opportunity for huge profits.
To give just one aviation related example, the Hawker Hurricane first flew on the 5th March 1935 and entered service in 1937. The Supermarine Spitfire first flew on the 5th March 1936 and was in service by August 1938. By comparison, their main foe, the Messerschmitt Bf109, first flew on the 29th May 1935 and entered service in 1937. So, as is said - the writing was 'on the wall'.
Note: We have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' to thank for providing these items.
The proposed location for this site was roughly mid-way between Newcastle and Sunderland. Just NE of the WHITE MARE POOL aerodrome and roughly 3nm east of Gateshead town centre.
Just one tiny point, which has often beset trying to find locations for this 'Guide', is how places have been spelt over the years. In this case, looking at the 1913 map, the location is clearly spelt FELL GATE. However, by the 1930s at least, it has become FELLGATE, one word.
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