Newnham Grounds
NEWNHAM GROUNDS: Civil Landing Ground (Much later private airstrip)
Operated by: Mr H Deterding
Location: 1.5nm SE of Daventry. Between A45 and B4037, just E of minor Road N of Newnham
Period of operation: 1930s only?
Runway: Max landing run: 320 grass
NOTES: The original infomation source about this being an established Landing Ground comes from the ‘AA Landing Grounds’ publications of the 1930s and it was one of the AA (Automobile Association) approved Landing Grounds. There was one hangar listed in 1933 but it isn’t at all certain if this was available for use by visitors flying in.
Fuel and transport (typically a taxi service) was available from Allen & Spriggs, London Road, Daventry – at least a mile or more distant. However, it appears a telephone was available at Red Lodge, 100 yards from the Landing Ground.
QUESTION?
Was this also used as the venue for Alan Cobham’s 1933 No.1 Tour of the UK on the 8th May 1933? (See 'Comment' below)
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
In 2021, I asked Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide' if he could kindly take a look at this location. Here below is the result:
Note: The second item shows the two hangars, still existing today.
COBHAM IN 1933 (8th May)
Note: Mike Holder found this account of the display, held on the 8th May, published in the Northampton Mercury on the 12th May 1933.
Note: Mike Holder also unearthed this group picture published in The Tatler on the 24th May 1933.
SOMETHING SOLVED?
With reference to Mr Steve Clark's information in 'Comments' below, Mr Graham Frost, another great friend of this 'Guide', has traced that 182. It was the Cessna 182C Skylane, G-ARAA (ex N8746T), and registered to Mr Henry Deterding at this address from just 21.04.60 until 27.07.60. Perhaps he didn't like it? I used to love flying a Cessna 182 and flew several examples. It had a poor reputation for becoming very heavy to land in the flare, but that was only because most pilots were not taught how to fly it properly, (including myself at first), and not so many knew why this was.
I had the good fortune to later be taught how to approach and land it correctly, and it was then a doodle, not at all heavy on the controls. Incidentally, this aircraft had a short life in the U.K. When registered to Airwork Services from 29.08.60, it crashed at Blackgang on the Isle of Wight on the 5th May 1961.
BUT!
Later, Graham discovered that, after selling G-ARAA, a month later he registered another Cessna 182C Skylane, G-ARAW (ex N8943T) at this address from 02.08.60 until 01.07.67. So, it now seems he actually did like the type. And, re-registered it to an address in Radlett, Hertfordshire, from 27.09.67 until 14.11.75.
PRIVATE AIRSTRIP (See 'Comment' below)
Period of operation: 2004 to -
Runway: 10/28 400 grass
Note: In 2004 there is clear evidence of another runway: 05/23 265 grass. Perhaps in the process of being laid out? Soon abandoned
Note: These four pictures were obtained from Google Earth ©
NOTES: We are much indebted to Mr Steve Clark for providing such a comprehensive
account. (See below)
Michael Holder
This comment was written on: 2020-05-12 13:11:24Google Earth shows an East/West grass strip about 400m west of Newnham Grounds. Is it left over from the 30s? Who knows. There are some nice photos of Newnham Grounds on Britain from Above; most of the surrounding fields look decidedly lumpy.
Steve Clark
This comment was written on: 2021-03-03 09:23:00Firstly thank you for producing such a useful and helpful site, especially for fellow aviators. Secondly in answer to your questions on Newnham Grounds, it was set up in the early 1930s by Henry Deterding, who was the son of oil magnate Sir Henri Deterding (chairman of Royal Dutch Shell). Henry lived at Newnham Grounds and having learned to fly at Sywell, built the hangar and strip to operate his aircraft. Initially a Puss Moth was housed in a small hangar (still there) in which the wings of the Moth were folded back. Later the current wider hangar was built to house his Fox Moth. It was indeed here, in answer to your other question, that Alan Cobham displayed his aircraft during the 1933 Tour and there is a photo of Cobham with Henry and his wife in front of the hangar. During WW2 Henry flew for the Fleet Air Arm and was captured after he forced landed his Swordfish in Norway in late 1940 after taking off from HMS Furious. After the war he was for many years a Director and Chairman of Sywell Aero Club and would commute from Newnham Grounds to Sywell in his Miles Messenger. His son Richard also flew this and after his father's death a C182. However, after Richard's death flying ceased and the field used for polo and farming until the current owner's son gained his PPL and reused the strip and hangar from 2004 until the present, where currently a Maule is based. Contact details are shown in Lockyears guide, Flying farmers list and at UKGA.
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