River Ver
The Ver flows south westwards
Post to the north Sopwell
Chalkden Wood
North Orbital Road
Hedges Farm. With a herd of pedigree Herefords
Radlett Aerodrome
This square shows the northern section of the airfield services area plus a length of the main runway.
This grass airfield was opened by aircraft manufacturer Handley Page in 1929 for the production of aircraft. It was upgraded before 1939 with three hard runways for the production of bombers during the Second World War and production continued after the war. The Society of British Aircraft Constructors air shows were held here in 1946 and 1947. Handley Page went bankrupt in 1969 and the airfield closed in 1970. The site is proposed for an international rail terminal.
Main runway – this ran from near the North Orbital road – a layby off the road leads to the runway which has been used as roadway to a gravel extraction site. The runway was extended in 1952 to allow flight testing.
Sports ground with social pavilion. This was opened by the company in 1968, moving the company sports activity from the Welsh Harp. A new cedar wood pavilion was built here with changing rooms, showers, equipment store, kitchen bar, games room and a 56ft X 24ft lounge and recreation hall. Outside were two football pitches, a cricket pitch and three tennis hard courts, as well as an athletics track, rifle and archery ranges
High speed wind tunnel. This was next to the tennis courts and installed as a private facility in 1953. The building—with 36ft of unobstructed internal height included design offices and laboratories. The main test-rig could impose loads of up to 400 tons with 3 Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets, to provide power for the "high-subsonic" wind tunnel. Noise was reduced by banks of absorbent "splitters."
Sources
Control Towers. Web site
Flight Archive. Web site
Hedges Farm. Web site
Planning Inspectorate. Web site
Radlett Aerodrome. Wikipedia. Web site
The Ver flows south westwards
Post to the north Sopwell
Chalkden Wood
North Orbital Road
Hedges Farm. With a herd of pedigree Herefords
Radlett Aerodrome
This square shows the northern section of the airfield services area plus a length of the main runway.
This grass airfield was opened by aircraft manufacturer Handley Page in 1929 for the production of aircraft. It was upgraded before 1939 with three hard runways for the production of bombers during the Second World War and production continued after the war. The Society of British Aircraft Constructors air shows were held here in 1946 and 1947. Handley Page went bankrupt in 1969 and the airfield closed in 1970. The site is proposed for an international rail terminal.
Main runway – this ran from near the North Orbital road – a layby off the road leads to the runway which has been used as roadway to a gravel extraction site. The runway was extended in 1952 to allow flight testing.
Sports ground with social pavilion. This was opened by the company in 1968, moving the company sports activity from the Welsh Harp. A new cedar wood pavilion was built here with changing rooms, showers, equipment store, kitchen bar, games room and a 56ft X 24ft lounge and recreation hall. Outside were two football pitches, a cricket pitch and three tennis hard courts, as well as an athletics track, rifle and archery ranges
High speed wind tunnel. This was next to the tennis courts and installed as a private facility in 1953. The building—with 36ft of unobstructed internal height included design offices and laboratories. The main test-rig could impose loads of up to 400 tons with 3 Rolls-Royce Nene turbojets, to provide power for the "high-subsonic" wind tunnel. Noise was reduced by banks of absorbent "splitters."
Sources
Control Towers. Web site
Flight Archive. Web site
Hedges Farm. Web site
Planning Inspectorate. Web site
Radlett Aerodrome. Wikipedia. Web site