The Blackpool airfield
This photo shows the two pylons that were placed very
close to the Golf Club House. It was hardly ideal
from a safety point of view with a building so close
to the course, but everybody managed to miss it.
Immediately outside the course there were still
bunkers and earth walls. (1)
Rougier flying in front of the grandstands. (2)
After visiting several sites, the Blackpool
Corporation and the Aero Club decided to build the
airfield between Squires Gate and St. Annes-on-Sea,
around three kilometres south of Blackpool. Part of the
field was used as a golf course, which was of course not
ideal, since bunkers had to be filled and hedges and
earth banks removed. However, these obstacles, together
with telephone poles and trees would be removed
"regardless of expense".
The field was situated along the Great Western Railway,
less than a kilometre away from the sea, but the
organizers optimistically stated that October was the
calmest month of the year, and that the field would be
protected from the prevailing westerly wind by the sand
dunes and the 10-15 metre high railway bank. It was also
claimed that due to the light, rapidly drying sandy
nature of the soil there would be no risk for a repeat of
the Reims mud problems.
Plans for the laying out of the ground were drawn up by
the Borough Surveyor, Mr Brodie, and tenders for grand
stands, fences and sheds were invited. The main stand was
to seat 3,500 people and a special stand another 1,500,
while there would be an additional 15,000 seats as well
as practically unlimited space in the "one
shilling" public area. The Royal Agricultural
Society offered the use of its members' stand, which
had covered seating accommodation for nearly 2,000
people. The trams ran all the way to the northern gates
of the airfield, so it would be convenient for visitors.
It was estimated that the field could accept around
150,000 people at the same time.
The official caterer of the meeting was Mr Brayshay of
Leeds, whose eleven large marquees and three bars were
manned by 600 staff and could serve 3,400 people at the
same time. In order to satisfy the needs of the hungry
and thirsty visitors they brought, among other things,
500 hogsheads and 36,000 bottles of Bass, 600 cases of
whiskey, 40,000 bottles of Schweppes assorted minerals,
500 sheep "with beef in proportion" (whatever
that means?), 1,000 hams and 3,000 sandwich loaves.
For the 1910 Flying Carnival only the northern part of
the 1909 field was used, and the length of the
rectangular marked course was reduced to one mile (1,609
m). The grandstands and hangars were completely
rearranged in a much smaller area. It was hoped to
establish it as a permanent airfield, with permanent
hangars and grandstands, but after the huge losses of the
Carnival these plans came to nothing.
In 1911 the Clifton Park racecourse opened on the site.
It went bankrupt in 1915 and the site was requisitioned
for a military hospital, the Lancashire Military
Convalescent Home. This closed in 1924, and afterwards
the field was occasionally used for flying, and from 1933
for greyhound racing. Scheduled flights from the field
started in 1933, in competition with the Stanley Park
airfield east of Blackpool, which had opened in 1928. The
airfield was expanded and used by minor airlines until
1937, when it was taken over by the Air Ministry and
civilian operations moved to Stanley Park. It was further
expanded and became RAF Squires Gate, which was used by
several squadrons and training units during WW2. Some
2,500 Vickers Wellington bombers were produced in a
Ministry of Aircraft Production factory at the northeast
corner of the field. Some airlines started using the
field in 1946 and the airfield became civilian again in
1949. It was renamed Blackpool Airport and used by
several airlines. After a series of ownership changes
commercial flights ceased in 2014. The terminal building
was demolished in 2016, and the airfield is now mainly
used by flying clubs and by offshore helicopter and
executive flight operators.
The map of the airfield from the race program. The
course was flown clockwise. North is at one
o'clock.
Legends:
- Reserved grand stand
- Reserved stand, boxes and press gallery
- Unreserved stands
- Private stands
- Refreshment buffet
- Post office
- Telephone office
- Ticket bureau
- Ladies retiring rooms
- Gentlemen's conveniences
- Aeroplane sheds
- Judges' box
- Towers
- Main entrance
- Other entrances
- Private entrances, for aviators only
- Petrol stores
- Ambulance
- Fire brigade
- Special motor cars enclosure
- General motor car enclosure
- Ten shillings enclosure
- Two shillings enclosure
- One shilling enclosure
Another map of the airfield, this time with north at
seven o'clock. (3)
An artists' view of the airfield, with the the town
and the Blackpool Tower in the background. It's not
a true perspective view, the near (southern) end of the
airfield has been narrowed in order to be able to show
more of the far end.
Click
here for a high-resolution version!
(4)
A. V. Roe's triplane in front of the hangars.
(5)
Too see more details, open the map in Google Maps by
clicking the "full screen" symbol at the top
right of the menu bar!
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