Gillan
Note: This map only shows the position of Gillan village within the UK.
GILLAN see also TREWOTHICK FARM
GILLAN: Private airstrip
Location: In/near the village of Gillan on the east coast of the Lizard peninsular roughly 10nm SSW of Falmouth town centre
NOTES: There is a report of a private strip operating here from about 1945 to 1947. Rumour has it that the operator was also the owner of the garage in Gillan?
It is perhaps tempting to imagine that this site and TREWOTHICK FARM mentioned above, could well be one and the same. However, experience has taught me to very wary of jumping to such conclusions.
If anybody can kindly offer advice, this will be most welcome.
I later had a conversation with somebody employed as an apprentice at the garage in Gillan from the mid 1950s, (see TREWOTHICK FARM), and he agreed that this strip might well have been in a different location. He pointed out that after WW2 a lot of wealthy people had holiday homes in the area, and would arrive in very expensive cars. This of course matches the profile for people who might well have had their own aeroplane and who better than the proprietors of the local garage to seek advice for a local farmer amicable to the idea of providing a strip.
It is all suppostion of course, but I can easily imagine that a strip close to their property would be preferred, so this would indicate a site closer to the coast, or very roughly east of Gillan. It needs to be remembered that in those days, even driving down from London could take all day, from dawn to dusk at least. So, for somebody with their own aeroplane, flying down was a very attractive alternative - especially if they needed to commute from time to time.
It is easy to imagine what an effect this could have on a young lad in the area. Wealth beyond their wildest dreams, and including his parents no doubt - some staying all summer!
But once the fledgling airlines got into their stride after WW2, Cornwall no longer held the attraction it once had. Such people could then choose to spend their summers almost anywhere in the world. The choice was virtualy limitless as WW2 had provided countless extra airfields/airports in addition to those established before WW2.
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