Mount Stewart
MOUNT STEWART: Private Landing Ground
Note: The first picture was obtained from Google Earth ©. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
Operated by: The Most Hon. The Marquess of Londonderry
Location: Just E of the A20, about 4.5nm SE of Newtownards town centre
Period of operation: From 1930 (?) to 1947?
NOTES: In so many ways this is a most remarkable story. Until Graham Frost found the address for the Miles Aerovan, G-AGWO, I had no record of this location. By sheer good fortune, Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', noticed the addition to the 'Guide' and decided to delve deeper - this being in July 2023. But, we need to be careful as reports of RAF Squadrons arriving here, just a fifty acre site, in the 1930s, could well be misleading. I suspect they more likely landed at NEWTOWNARDS as that was opened in the early 1930s. Also, the aerodrome at NEWTOWNARDS was, (is?), on land owned by the Marquess of Londonderry.
It also appears there was, in the 1930s, a landing stage in Strangford Lough just to the west, used occassionally by small flying boats. Plus in WW2, a bombing range in the Lough.
However, there most certainly was a private Landing Ground in the estate near to the main house, possibly used from 1930? This being used in early WW2 by 231 Squadron operating Westland Lysanders from 1940 until 1943 with an attendent RAF Station. It appears that the Lysanders were replaced by Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks in 1943, but, did they fly from here or NEWTOWNARDS?
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Note: The short notice published in the Hartlepool Northern Daily Mail on the 1st August 1930 is the earliest proof found so far of this private Landing Ground. The second mention, the newspaper article, was published in the Yorkshire Evening Post on the 8th August 1932.
The short article was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 7th October 1933. The newspaper article 2 was published in The Scotsman on the 9th October 1933.
The third newspaper article was published in Ireland's Saturday Night on the 24th March 1934.
The newspaper article 4 was published in the Staffordshire Sentinel on the 13th May 1935. The short Notice was published in The Scotsman on the 19th May 1936. The photograph was published in the Sunderland Daily Echo and Shipping Gazette on the 4th September 1936.
The newspaper article 5 was published in the Grimsby Daily Telegraph on the 1st June 1936. The newspaper article 6 was also published on the 1st June 1936, but this time in the Western Daily Express.
The comments were obtained from the Britmodeller Chat Site. Since the interweb really got going there is no telling where information can be found!
To give the first map item above its full title, it is: Bombing Range and Scoring Quadrants Map. The newspaper article 7 was published in the Edinburgh Evening News on the 21st April 1938. The newspaper article 8 was published in the Shields Daily Gazette on the 28th December 1938.
AND FINALLY -
This article in three parts was published in the Belfast News Letter on the 28th January 1939.
SOME EXTRA INFORMATION
As mentioned, we have to thank Mr Graham Frost, a great friend of this 'Guide', for discovering that the Miles M.57 Aerovan 2, G-AGWO, was registered to the Marquess of Londonderry, at this address from 27.11.46 until 02.07.47. The Civil Aircraft Register does not give a base for it. But, it appears, it crashed at "Newtownards" on the 5th April 1947.
We have found no proof that G-AGWO was operated from this site, but, being pretty much a STOL type, it would seem likely? As Graham points out, The Marquess of Londonderry was a Secretary of State for Air in the early 1930s. Why he wanted an Aerovan remains a mystery? If anybody can kindly offer advice and information, this will be much appreciated.
So, having mentioned the subject, it seems worthwhile to add a few notes about this quite remarkable design. It appears it was designed and ready for production before WW2, but with the war intervening, all work was ordered to be halted. After WW2 work on the type resumed and it really was a great success, capable of carrying a payload in excess of its own weight, and, it sold well. We will never know how it could have been developed, as the Miles company folded in 1947.
I did hear a story about an Aerovan being employed to deliver a bull to Lundy Island in the Bristol Channel. The pilot being faced with a major dilemma - which way round to load it? Not knowing the possible effects on the animal after the engines were started and he took off! I reckon head first was best?
LATEST NEWS
In July 2023, I was kindly contacted once again by Mr Graham Frost. He has discovered that the Marquess had the de Havilland DH87B Hornet Moth, G-ADMR, registered from 18.05.36 to 27.04.40, but based at ARDS AIRPORT. (Aka NEWTOWNARDS). Without much if any doubt he would have operated this aircraft out of MOUNT STEWART? It was impressed as X9310 on the 27th April 1940 but it appears it did not survive the war in the hands of the RAF.
It appears that the Marquess, and most probably his family, had a soft spot for the Hornet Moth, as he acquired another, G-ADLY. This example had been impressed as W9388 from 28.02.40 until 20.05.46. The Marquess had it registered to him at this address from 27.11.46 until 01.01.48. It then went to Ulster Aviation Ltd at NEWTOWNARDS from 22.01.48 until 01.11.49 which the Marquess had considerable interest in. It now also appears that, (in 2023 at any rate), G-ADLY is still flying in the U.K.
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