| Summary : A First World War military airfield, built in 1917 and closed in 1921. It was used by units of the Royal Navy Air Service and the Royal Air Force as a training base for day and night bombing. Training continued at Stonehenge until 1919 and in 1920 the site was briefly opened again by the School of Army Co-operation until 1921. During 1944 the airfield may have been briefly used by aircraft attached to the American 29th Infantry division, but this is uncertain.The First World War airfield was constructed to the south-west of Stonehenge. The extensive 320 acre site was made up of a complex of buildings and roads that can be seen on aerial photographs of the early 1920s. The site was split into a Technical area and a Domestic area. The Technical area contained six coupled General Service (GS) Aeroplane sheds, General Repair Sheds, numerous huts for workshops, Bessonneau hangars, two Handley Page aircraft sheds as well as fuel storage tanks. The Domestic area was used to house the off duty air crews and consisted of various messes and a large barracks area of tents and huts. Photographs taken in 1934 show that the complex was dismantled by that date, and on photographs taken in 1943 the aerodrome is only visible as earthwork remains. Traces of the site can still be seen as earthworks and as cropmarks. |
More information : SU 1174 4188. Traces of an aerodrome about 500m to the south west of Stonehenge, constructed in the early twentieth century. An extensive complex of buildings and roadways can be seen on aerial photographs of the early 1920s, while photographs taken in 1934 show that the base had been dismantled by that date. Aerial photographs of 1943 show a regular pattern of earthwork remains at the site, covering an area of about 25 hectares. Traces of the site can still be seen as cropmarks on recent aerial photographs (2001), and have been mapped by EH's Stonehenge WHS Mapping Project. (1-8)
A World War One military airfield, built in 1917 and closed in 1921. It was used initially by units of the Royal navy Air Service then by the Royal Air Force. During 1944 the airfield may have been briefly used by aircraft attached to American 29th Infantry division but this is uncertain. Ron Priddle's work on aviation in Wiltshire gives full WWI unit details for this airfield. (9)
A 360 acre site laid out in 1917 by the RFC. The technical area included six paired GS sheds, numerous huts, workshops, Bessonneau hangars and two Handley Page sheds (to undertake Handley Page bomber training). There was also a spur line that connected to the site Larkhill military railway. A separate domestic part of the site included messes and barracks and there was another domestic site at the north end of the airfield for the Handley Page night crews. The main role of the base was to house two training units for day and night time bombing. Training continued on the site until September 1919 when the training school moved to Andover. In March 1920 the School of Army Co-operation formed here and stayed until January 1921 when the airfield closed permanently and began to be dismantled. For a full description of the training units and the aircraft used please refer to the source. (10)
South-west of Fargo Plantation. This is the site of the Stonehenge Airfield Night Camp built 1.2 km north-west of the airfield for off duty air crews during the First World War. All buildings were removed in the early 1930s. This source can be viewed accessed through the Heritage Gateway. (11)
Stonehenge Aerodrome. This contained a main Technical site, located to the north of the A303 and a Domestic site to the south of the road. The grass airstrip was between the Technical site and the A344 road to Shrewton. The Technical site contained 6 coupled GS Aeroplane Sheds, Aeroplane Repair Sheds, MT Sheds, workshops, stores, huts and offices. The Domestic site contained an Officer's mess and quarters, Sergeants' mess, barracks and other service buildings. The site closed in 1921 with the Domestic site becoming the Stonehenge Pedigree Stock Farm. The Technical site was demolished in 1929. This source can be viewed accessed through the Heritage Gateway. (12)
A very detailed record of Stonehenge Aerodrome can be found in this source. Details including the squadrons and facilities are recorded and there are a number of photographs and plans. (13)
Within the Stonehenge Triangle and on Stonehenge Down some aerodrome building foundations can still be seen as low spread earthworks. (14) |