Why Did Manchester Have So Many Airfields?

Before Manchester gained the UK's third largest airport it was home to several smaller airfields, as the age of aviation went from experimental to exciting! Many of them were just that: fields - with little more than a grassy landing strip and a few buildings. But as the years went by, and a couple of World Wars entered the story, sites became more complicated.
Military aerodromes like those at Alexandra Park and Woodford saw the evolution of Avro assembly lines and testing facilities, and famous aircraft like the Lancaster bomber and the Vulcan. RAF Stretton and USAF Burtonwood were long standing features of the Warrington story from WW2 onwards.
Meanwhile, authorities began looking to find a proper permanent home for civilian aviation, from the posh grounds of Trafford Park, the spare farmers fields in Wythenshawe, the soft bogland at Barton and finally to the Cheshire plains at Ringway.
Special thanks to Lewis from Ringway Manchester for photographs and additional drone footage. Check out his channel if you haven't already: @RingwayManchester
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[@user-zq1kx3lv1l]

I have just been offered your Manchester Airfields Video by You Tube, and found it very interesting, and enjoyable to watch. Thank you so much for making it, & posting it. I am 81 years old, and live in Stockport, & have in my past, worked at A.V.R.O. & Fairies engineering, but as a contracting electrician, doing installation work, so can identify with the areas. I found your video so interesting that I have started to play back items from your Archives & have also become a new subscriber. Your knowledge & research are very commendable. Well done.Thanks again, Brian of Stockport,

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thanks Brian, I'm glad you liked the video and have found some of the other ones interesting too.

[@AirlinersLive]

Excellent video! Very well researched and presented

[@alunjones2550]

I learned to fly at Ringway in the 80's on the Southside as it was known, which was where the light aircraft were based. This was way before the second runway. I've flown gliders at Woodford, too and became a gliding instructor with the cadets at RAF Sealand for about 14 years. My mum used to work for AVRO's in Chadderton, back in the 60's and then worked with my Dad at a separate company in Ancoats that had nothing to do with aviation but it just happened to be based in AVRO's very first factory.

[@rogernichols1124]

As a Msncunian who spent pretty well every day as a boy cycling from Baguley to Ringway Airport (and sometimes to Barton Aerodrome), I found this video really fascinating. Now retired, I live close to the Eastern flight path approach to Manchester Airport and still watch the aircraft coming and going, either live or on my Flight Rsdar app. My first flight was in 1954 in a Dragon Rapide from Manchester, a pleasure trip organised by our ex-RAF primary school teacher, Eric Walmsley. Those 10 minutes airborne made me fall in love with flying and, 60 of more years later, I still get a buzz from it, having travelled the world in almost every commercial passenger plane - a long way on from that first inspiring flight. Yes, I'm a nerd whennit comes to planes and the slightest whiff of aviation fuel sets me off itching to check in for somewhere and take off. Thanks for this great video. 😂

[@roverchap]

A small but important correction. Manchester Airport is the third largest in the UK, not the third largest 'outside of London'.

[@SocieteRoyale]

I forgot about the Burtonwood hangers! I used to love looking out for them when we drove down the motorway, completely failed to notice they had disappeared under relentless development!

[@lindajohnson4204]

My father was a US Army Air Corps nose turret gunner, in a B-24, and was stationed at Aintree, near Liverpool (now a very urban area IN Liverpool). He wanted to do what Dean Jagger did in "12 O'Clock High", travel back to England, rent a bicycle, and ride it out to the old airfield. I dont know what it would have become while he lived, whether th a t would have been possible, but now, it is a very urban part of Liverpool, with scarcely a bit of green visible on Google Maps. I know Liverpool is not Manchester, but I hoped a little that Aintree was far enough out to the east, to be within the outskirts of Manchester, but of course not. We tend to compress distances in distant locations. I hoped to find a picture of Aintree's base, but it doesn't seem to be possible. Maybe someday I will go to the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum near Savannah, Georgia, and they will have something. You can hardly find evidence that the Aintree base existed, even in the old records of the time. My dad was such a decent, kindly man, and he loved England and the British people. He will have been gone 50 years, next year, but I still miss him, and want to tell him things. But he, too, believed in Jesus as his Savior, so I will see him with the Lord.

[@johnbruce2868]

Nor only Manchester... South Birmingham alone has Castle Bromwich, Northfield, RAF Honiley (now the Jaguar car testing site), WWII Wotton Wawen decoy site, RAF Hockey Heath, RAF Snitterfield, Billsley (Kings Heath) and there are probably more. Maybe you should make such airfield research into a YT series?

[@stephenbradshaw9126]

Excellent video, well researched and presented. Thank you for posting.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

That's nice of you, thanks very much! :)

[@AJM-timecop]

Used to love the air shows at Woodford & Barton. Remember one year in the late 70s, I couldn't go. Sitting in the garden in Cheadle Hulme & the Red Arrows roared over the house. Pretty cool.

[@A_p_T53040]

Fantastic video, thank you!

[@rodneyelliott5995]

As a young teenager in the early 1950s, I used to frequently cycle from Denton to Ringway, as it still was, to aircraft spot. In those days I was able to stop on a cinder parking spot on Shadowmoss Road with just chestnut pailing fencing between me and Avro Yorks, Fairey Fireflies and Gannets, DH Dragon Rapides and occasional Spitfires, DH Vampires and Gloster Meteors, to name but a few. Ringway was used by Fairey for test flying and, if I recall well, NA F-86 Sabre jet fighters were located on the far side of the airfield being worked upon by a company named ‘Airwork’. I’ll stand to be corrected on that. With a bit of careful and furtive observation, I was able to scramble through a gap in the fencing and sneak into a large hanger by the roadside and wander around parked aircraft - never touching of course. I seem to recall too that one of the runways crossed Shadowmoss Road and a bloke in a sentry hut would walk into the road to stop traffic with a red flag if an aircraft was approaching. By then all airborne parachute training must have ceased as I have no recall of those activities. I have learned only recently however that although Ringway was used for that purpose during WW2, most drops took place over Tatton Park to be clear of air movements.

[@stamfordplace5]

Very interesting! Cheers for posting 👍

[@SuperMorgan1980]

Always very informative

[@simonruddle6511]

This brings back great memories. I used to love going to the annual Woodford Air Show in the seventies. And I learned to fly gliders at Burtonwood with the Air Training Corp. Many thanks!

[@sixfootbear]

At one point I carried Nimrod panels from BAE Brough to BAE Woodford. The Blackburn Aircraft factory to AV Roe Manchester.I went to Woodford last year and got lost.All my landmarks had gone.I felt as lost as I had when Burtonwood was redeveloped..

[@TSM_rivaltalk1]

Ultra video! Great job!

[@erictaylor5462]

I read a true story about a pilot flying over England in the 1960's or 70's when he had to perform an emergency landing. He saw what from the air looked like a grass runway but as he got closer he could see the long grass meant the airfield had been abandoned, but by then it was too late to choose another place to land. However, he performed a safe landing without damage to the pilot or the plane. He set off to find a phone and at one point found a briefing room with notes for the last brief still on the board. It looked as if the briefing was interrupted at some point and never resumed. From the notes it looked like they expected minimal resistance, and the date on the board corresponded to the last day of the war. The author said he could nearly picture the room full of tired aircrews when someone poke their head in the door to say, "Chaps, you mission has been canceled due to the fact the war is over.

[@Quinnikon]

Lovely video mate been a massive aircraft enthusiast since the early 1970s but you’ve certainly taught me a few things about my area . Quinny

[@MaritimeFox]

I co-authored the '50 Best Cycle Rides of Cheshire' and RNAS Stretton is featured in one of the routes I wrote about. At the time of researching I was completely surprised to turn off a narrow country lane onto a taxiway.

[@keithwalmsley1830]

Great job as always mate, Manchester again leading the way as in so many other ways!!

[@redhmanchesteruk.]

Another great video.👌👏

[@colintuffs568]

The Woodford site was used for many years to service the Queens flight . Planes would arrive at 4 am , be serviced then leave at 4 am in an attempt at security . My father worked there for 23 years on various aircraft but was not allowed to dis uss , having signed the Official Secrets Act. 😮😊

[@mre7862]

Enjoyed that! Thank you! As a train driver I often go past Burtonwood and knew it was an airbase, but didn’t know it was that big at one point.

[@johnhutch5678]

Great vid 👍

[@josephmansfield2875]

Very interesting video thanks

[@liamlifting]

Great video - take a look at Shaftesbury Avenue in Timperley - it was built as an emergency runway hence its width / length (so the story goes)

[@RingwayManchester]

Urban legend

[@liamlifting]

@@RingwayManchester that’s a shame.

[@gzk6nk]

Not true.

[@golic7123]

well done for this - very interesting Thanks

[@boabrahamsen9442]

Great job, thank you ❤

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you too!

[@bruster666]

Fantastic video and very informative. I’m from moss side/fallowfield so it crazy to know how many airfields were on my doorstep

[@christopher9727]

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus

[@jesusisalex]

Class video! Avro and Woodford is quality. They have this VR headset where you go on a Lancaster bomber over Berlin and it really feels like you’re a crew member in 1945. They used all the original voices and recordings of the crew so you get these wonderfully British voices saying “Give the gerry’s hell old boy” outstandingly well loved by the volunteers there

[@bigted3406]

I always enjoy your content, this video really surprised me as I was not aware of all the other airfields in and around the Manchester and greater Manchester connotation . I suppose this video could have went on with loads more details but its fab that you do these potted history vignettes . It would be great to see you look into Manchester and Trafford park during WW2, especially all the anti-aircraft gun placements that tried to protect it, some of which have been memorialised Urmston/ Daveyhulme area . Thanks again 👍✌️

[@1967donkey]

Great video mate. My mates and I used to cycle from Burnage to plane spot at Mcr airport in the 80s. Used to enjoy Woodford airshow and can remember being deafened from a low pass by a Tornado. Happy days.

[@richardstewart6900]

Thanks! Enjoyed that and learned some stuff beyond what I already knew. Grew up to the sound of them engine-testing the Vulcans & Nimrods.

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

I really miss the sites and sounds of Woodford.

[@tranmere292]

What a fascinating story. Before moving to Australia 50 years ago I lived in Woodford when my Dad was at Avro and was sorry to hear of the fate of the aerodrome which played a large part in our lives. The annual air shows were a highlight of our year.

[@bigalfeath4208]

Really enjoyed this video, having been brought up in Withington I never knew Hough End was an Airfield, thank you

[@hamshackleton]

Burtonwood - the motorway as it stands now is on top of the original runway. You could claim that it is the longest runway in the UK, as it reaches from Liverpool to Manchester - or even Yorkshire!

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

😂

[@LightweightUK2007]

Same in the south of Warrington on the M56 at Stretton, the old runway was incorporated into the motorway :)

[@christopher9727]

..... Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Come to Jesus Christ today Jesus Christ is only way to heaven Repent and follow him today seek his heart Jesus Christ can fill the emptiness he can fill the void Heaven and hell is real cone to the loving savior today Today is the day of salvation tomorrow might be to late come to the loving savior today John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. Mark 1.15 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Hebrews 11:6 6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Jesus

[@Robert-vw3od]

Great video

[@mikehindson-evans159]

An excellent historical document; thank you.

[@adriancable1]

I used to go ten pin bowling at Burton wood in the 1970s. I had to change my Pounds for US dollars to pay for the beer, which was US brands, Schlitz and Budweiser.

[@brynvjones6679]

Well, well done. Fascinating.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thank you 😁

[@Triple55555]

First class documentary and research.

[@johnhudghton3535]

Good video. Pity the cinstruction of the mighty Avro Vulcan was not mentioned even though you had some pics. As a kid living in Gatley remember the legendary Vulcan flying on tests and going to the Woodford Airshow. I also remember raiding the Woodford scrap heap and cycling home with some very large pieces of aircraft. No mention of the RAF airfield at Outwood Road Heald Green...did you know that one existed? Did some Air Cadet gliding from RAF Burtonwood. It was once the largest runway in the UK and the main strategic stores in the event of WW3.

[@jbconno]

I'm from Heald Green and the RAF facilities there were for logistics and training, it was never an airfield. There was also RAF Handforth, which last served as the civil service pay office, and RAF Wilmslow which was used a WRAF training camp.

[@Mancmodeller]

Aircraft still fly from Hough End, albeit on a small scale...there is a model flying club based there:)

[@iancaveney7464]

This is terrific, Olly, had no idea about the one in Wythenshawe. Used to go to the airshow at Woodford when I was a kid in the 80s. And it will always be Ringway, never MIA. 👍

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thanks Ian! Glad you liked it. I wish I'd made it to the Woodford airshow when I was a kid! :(

[@paulw4259]

Yeah. I didn't know Ringway had changed its name. Mind you I haven't lived in Manchester for a while. At least Joey Holts is still going.

[@rambo1152]

@@paulw4259 I still call it Ringway, and the Arena "The Nynex" . Good job they didn't call the airport "Manchester Gallagher". "The Best International"? Perhaps not.

[@tracya4087]

very well done , long overdue , burtonwood and stretton are well worth episodes of their own , kind regards from wigan , lancashire

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thanks Tracy. Yeah I agree. I think Burtonwood especially

[@tracya4087]

@@BeeHereNowuk yes , mate , but even rnas stretton has much to rediscover , i used to work on the estate , i even have an air show programe , yes air show , and also a small medal for runner up in the hockey league 1950 , 51 , it was a great place , and so was burtonwood , best wishes from wigan , lancs

[@davestarkie2794]

Cool informative video... you could consider doing the same style video for Lancashire and Merseyside?

[@simonfunwithtrains1572]

I grew up in the area and really didn't know very much about the different airports so it's been really interesting to learn something new as ever ollie thank you again for a really interesting video j and S

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Thanks, glad it was of use to you! ☺️

[@dushfly19]

Hough End/Alexandria Park is still used by a model aircraft flying club and by the uni for their students to fly their (tiny) aircraft there - flew mine last year :)

[@rambo1152]

Plenty of helicopter activity at Barton. For a start Greater Manchester Police have theirs based there. A USAF CV22 Osprey flew over my house last year, the scariest thing I've ever seen! That landed at Barton.

[@joshuanishanthchristian5217]

It's quite cool to see the still visible runways on those two military fields!

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Yeah it was 😁

[@robertbench4664]

My late dad did some of his National Service at HMS Black Cap,and told me there used to be a picture of a Black Cap (a type of bird) at the entrance to the base.

[@gerhuneng]

A real voice commentating rather than AI!

[@iangrange7124]

Their is a small section of the runway still surviving from RAF/USAF Burtonwood at J8 west bound entry to the M62

[@philipmurphy2]

Well done, Interesting KZbin video 👍

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@andysvehiclehistorychannel]

Amazing video I have flying lessons from Barton it's my favourite airfield because of its history in the war it was an aircraft repair depot so was Stretton.

[@acroydon]

8:26 I’m pretty sure from my research from living in northern moor since 1989 Wythenshawe aerodrome the primary school st aidans rc primary school used part of the aerodrome buildings and I’m pretty sure still stands today

[@steveh5005]

When I was a very young plane spotter. Riding on my bike to Ringway from Heald Green. It still had WW2 hangers and buildings on the Style side. This was the original location where the Parachute regiment trained. And embarked to drop at Trafford. There were still Whitley bomber propellers used as fence posts! And you could drive over the runway. Woodford was a favourite for the annual airshow. Easy to access at weekends. I would sneak around Avro 748s or Victor bombers being converted to tankers. As a air cadet based in Cheadle I would drive past Burtonwood. They had a US Army Huey helicopter. But within a few years was closed. And then go gliding or flying from RAF Sealand.

[@carswithcharacter]

As a teenager in the early 80s, I spent many weekends flying gliders at RAF Buttonwood. The RAF section in the US base was almost derelict. It did house a hangar full of old buses - shared with the gliders.

[@bigh210670]

You missed one out. RAF Heywood in North Manchester RAF Heywood - 35MU (Maintenance Unit) During World War Two (and for for some time after - it closed in 1967) Heywood had a huge RAF site. But this site was mostly civilian - it was a Maintenance Unit and much of what it did was storage and repair.

[@RingwayManchester]

It wasn’t an airfield. Might as well start counting RAF Wilmslow, RAF Croft and RAF Altrincham

[@alanparkinson549]

Is that Pilsworth? I believe it was an Air Ministry site, not RAF. I have a vague (and possibly wrong) recollection of my dad taking me there in the late fifties to see a gate-guardian aircraft, possibly a Spitfire.

[@allaboutkalergi5012]

@@RingwayManchester And what about RAF Padgate? 🤣🤣

[@gzk6nk]

@@allaboutkalergi5012 NOT an airfield!

[@allaboutkalergi5012]

@@gzk6nk Which is what I said!!!

[@jetsons101]

As a A&P mechanic I approve of this video. Ollie, your drone work is getting pretty good, much better than mine. We live at the west end of Torrance Airport, aircraft fly over many times every day. Like around Manchester it is one of the few small regional airports left in the south LA county area. For myself this was a very enjoyable watch, Vintage Steam and Aviation are my two favorite subjects. Your channel improves with each posting, thanks for keeping local and regional history alive.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Hey Mike, thanks for your lovely comment! So glad you found it interesting! My dad worked in aviation and I'm just getting into it as a subject myself! The little airfields are much more interesting. Can't believe you were thy first comment as well 😄

[@jetsons101]

@@BeeHereNowuk Ollie, I mean this in a good way, but you and your channel are way underrated.

[@kennethdrewary1094]

Used to go to the Woodford Air displays in the early 70s. I had no idea. It was closed though.

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

My great grandfather worked in the Avro plant in Trafford doing his bit for the war effort.

[@DadgeCity]

Woodford was a big employer until the 60s. My mum worked there.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Awesome! My dad worked there about 15 years ago

[@Thelancastarian]

Just wanted to say how amazing the history of RAF burtonwood is, I’m a local who lives there and well many story’s of the RAF v bombers that were based there on high alert and the visitors of the b-36s peacemaker. It’s amazing the history of RAF burtonwood and pretty sure there’s a book you can buy that has all the pictures of the sorcery that were stationed there in ww2 and the Cold War

[@jayd1974]

Very interesting especially being a Manchester lad from Stretford 👍

[@saffieification]

as local who worked at barton airport in the 70's and lives locally thanks learned a few new things there even I didnt know

[@UranusMcVitieFish-yd7oq]

Manchester Airport is the third biggest by passenger numbers (and by quite a distance) outside of London. I think that's more impressive than being the fourth biggest

[@paulinewright9972]

Using a family history website that gives access to old newspapers I found an advert in the MEN 1926 for flights from Rackhouse Farm. No destination given so I assume it was just sightseeing and went back to Rackhouse.

[@roysmith59]

That was interesting

[@mjc8281]

Not the focus of this video, but my father who lived in Withington...and ironically went on to spend 40 years in the RAF mentioned that apparently during the war Hough End field had significant AA batteries because it was a great navigational location for bombing runs on the Manchester docks with the two railway lines merging before merging again at the start of the docks area..near Old Trafford football ground...

[@Cossie2k]

I worked at both Chadderton & Woodford until their closure. Happy memories. Also not sure what havoc BAE is wreaking on the world

[@TheOffertonhatter]

Great video, Loved the bit about Woodford. shame it no longer exists. I remember many air shows there and the usual engine tests on occasion from Vulcans and Nimrod's on site from time to time. One minor thing, I think you go mixed up right at the beginning. Manchester is the third largest airport and largest outside London, not the Third Largest outside London as you said. :-) Just a minor mix up I suppose. 😀

[@jtb52]

Epic. Worked at Woodford in 90s

[@AndyJarman]

I lived in Manchest and worked in the feasibility team for the new Manchester airport in the early 1990s. I had a house in Heaton Norris and cycled through most of the olaces mentioned in this video. I wish I had known about the contents of this video30 years ago.

[@dizzydevil547]

I remember as a kid in the 70s visting ringway on days out when they had the aircraft viewing on the roof of the terminal (what is now terminal one) with the jettys on both sides that back then you could walk down on the roofs of them ( long before security was like it is now and they closed the roof terraces eventualy for security reasons ) and then when they expanded ringway one of those jetys was demolished ect ( the other one still is there ALONG WITH IF YOU LOOK ON GOOGLE MAPS some of the access on the roof top with stairs and paved areas still exist!) ....Also i remember as a kid going out on day trips to place like chester ect and traveling down the M62 and seeing the runways / taxiways that the motorway intesected at Burtonwood! ..NOW its all gone and built on ect ..apart from a small bit of taxiway that still runs parralel along the m62 ..also talking of the M62 an ex BF of mine who as since passed away god rest his soul was a survivor as a kid of the M62 IRA coach bombing in 1974 im NOT mention his name BUT it is icluded in this wiki post en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M62_coach_bombing

[@andymcgeechan8318]

Coventry purchased land at Baginton for use as an acrodrome as early as 1897, though it was not built till 1935. Two other sites had flying from 1910. The Daimler factory at Radford (Radford Aerodrome 1910-11/ Daimler till 1960/Jaguar -Daimler Cars till 1997 now housing) And an RNAS depot at Whitley becoming Armstrong Whitworth Aircraft The Airfield at Whitley was rendered unusable by the new A45 by-pass in 1936. The last aircraft out being the prototype Whitley Bomber, which transferred to the new civic airport at Baginton a few hundred yards south. (AWA 1923-68 Roots-Chrysler UK till 1978/Peugeot UK till 1987/Jaguar design centre till 2005 JLR Headquarters till present) Alas Baginton is under threat of development having been spared from a Gigafactory proposal.

[@antfirmin]

Very interesting.

[@alanstansfield2944]

My late father used to work for Avro's at their Chadderton factory. Later he was employed by Air Taxis based at Barton. He told me of the time when a Spitfire landed and discovered its pilot was from nearby Worsley. Growing up, I used to pedal off to Barton or Ringway in the days when Manchester Corporation thoughtfully provided cycle racks! I'd spend many an hour on the rooftop terrace, determined to make the most of my two shilling investment! I can remember an Auster (AirvIews, I believe) giving pleasure flights costing about 10/6.1970/71 I befriended an ex Lancaster flight engineer who'd learnt to fly at Barton. He had access to a Cessna 172 hangered on the south side at Ringway (formerly the Fairey Aviation hangers). We had many happy trips, often flying over Stretton as it was used as a reporting point though it was not designated as Visual Reporting Point on the aeronautical charts at the time.

[@pepedrat2982]

Breaking news. As of mid-May 2024, they have painted Barton Aerodrome again on the main hangar.

[@nowt2957]

As a young man I used to work for Comet and they used some of the Burtonwood hangars for parts storage - the buildings were huge and parts of the runways were still present when I visited as well as some rail tracks around the site. I wish we had phone cameras back then as it was an interesting place.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Amazing! Did you go in the hangars then?

[@nowt2957]

@@BeeHereNowuk I went in the old warehouse building - which was enormous - to collect parts.

[@theblower069]

A very good video thank you. Tell Me have you been to Bowlee In Middleton as there is what remains of an airfield there also over the road i saw a old disused control tower there too. Just wanted to ask. Avation is a hobby of mine also. I would like to know what Bowlee was used for also.

[@Zero6BravoZ6B]

I was going to mention Bowlee, you beat me to it, also as far as I'm aware, it was used for logistics.

[@stevetravers8195]

Also an airfield at RAF Broadheath (Altrincham) used for munitions (1924-1957)

[@gavanwhatever8196]

Those Griffon powered Spitfires at 11:09 just look so lean and dangerous!

[@Wickedacorn]

Good job. Arthur Witten Brown, who did the transatlantic flight with John Alcock, was also from Greater Manchester. He lived in Chorlton cum Hardy. This must be the week of Manchester aviation. I'm working on a video about the Manchester to London race.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Wonderful thank you!! Looking forward to your video!

[@glyn6170]

I'm led to believe that some of the lamp posts in Manchester were/still are on hinges so that parts built at Chadderton could be transported to Ringway for final assembly. Happy to be corrected.

[@jaimiepotts7638]

Barton/Chat Moss would have been a great place for the airport - particularly for east-west access across the North of England, with it being right next to M62 and the Transpennine Express railway route (the original Liverpool-Manchester railway)

[@jimmcculloch3786]

Lord Edgerton, had a private grass runway in Tatton park!

[@iancaveney7464]

Tatton Park was a landing zone for some of the UKs first parachute regiments during training who would take off from Ringway Aerodrome. Always found that a fascinating snippet of history.

[@davidwaterhouse2552]

Great video, but you have actually missed one? RAF Heywood, was initially an airbase for the launch and maintenance of Barrage Balloons, but, it was populated by The RAF, and had a landing strip that was used by Spitfires and other smaller fighter planes! Cheers dx

[@johndavenport7281]

The same thought struck me too. My early childhood was spent in Rhodes and we would drive along Heywood Rd to visit my grandmother. We always referred to the airbase as Bowlee which was at one end of it and Birch ar the other.

[@thorgrimb2416]

​@johndavenport7281 lot of unusual stories re bowlee I think Bowlee though was the actual Barrage balloon airport site and the Heywood site just at the side of Hareshill Road was primarily a maintenance site. Bowlee has the infamy of being targeted so bombed by the German Luftwaffe during WW2.

[@malcolmgibson6288]

Burtonwood was always RAF Burtonwood.

[@mikecookson9256]

Do you have any information on the old Airfield near Heywood, behind Birch services? All that's left is a couple of hangers, and the old guardroom building. On Google maps, you can see the scarring from the old runway. Location. Manchester Road, A6045, junction of Bader Close. I believe it was a fighter service station and barrage balloons.

[@BeeHereNowuk]

No but I'll look into that!

[@RingwayManchester]

There was no airfield there it was a maintenance unit. Nothing more

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

I remember seeing a photograph of Manchester United players coming out of the Hough End changing rooms, they had to use the pitches there on one occasion, in was sometime in the 60's. (sorry for going slightly off the subject)

[@jesusisalex]

Interesting I’d love to see that photo. During the worst of the lockdown me and my friends would go to Hough end and play football as normal. Kept us all sane being out on that field acting normal and not being scared of the nonsense and fear all around in that spring/summer of 2020

[@Mr.Grimsdale]

@@jesusisalex The photo was shown in a book, sorry i can't remember which one. I played at Hough End hundreds of times over a 20yr period even scored from my own half in a cup game there, the glory years albeit at amateur level. I'm very clued up to do with the convid, i knew from day one and stayed a pure blood. I walked through the the Manc Royal hospital one afternoon in 0ct 2020, which was empty (it was like something out of the Twilight Zone) except for 2 security guards, 5 nurses and 3 patients, ambulances parked up doing nothing, a neighbour of mine who worked there said this "i don't understand it, they have us changing empty wards around for nothing meanwhile no-one is looking the cancer patients!" Keep safe.

[@peterdonoghue9316]

Have you ever researched the temporary ww2 runway which is now Shaftsbury avenue in Timperley? Once you know what it was it’s obvious. It has taxiways each side of the. Carriageway.

[@rogercruickshank2655]

Flew out of Barton once, bloody wet 🥺🇳🇿

[@freebeerfordworkers]

Remember riding to Manchester Airport on our bikes in the late 1950s and watching the occasional take off and landing. If you saw a 4 engine aircraft particularly one that wasn't British it was really exciting. Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve actually had a squadron there with twin engine WW2 bombers parked along the perimeter on the western side

[@allaboutkalergi5012]

Yeah they flew Vampires as part of home defence.

[@gzk6nk]

@@allaboutkalergi5012 And Spitfires before that.

[@ashpollen65]

Also, para troopers were trained at Ringway. There is still a memorial, well I say memorial, but it is tucked away, forgetten, in an overgrown corner of a field near to the once Castle Mill outdoor pool.

[@peterhurley552]

@@ashpollen65 Is that the one they use to have in the main lounge area?.

[@markm-ci6rj]

Burtonwood closed as an airport way before 1994, I think it was in 1959? I believe the main runway was were the M62 is now. A supply warehouse remain in use by the US until 1994 but that was in Westbrook, it was a mile long and I think it was the longest single span warehouse in Europe. Sadly everything is gone, Warrington council failed to preserve anything, an act of vandalise in my view.

[@amacca2085]

You think they’d of kept one hanger

[@bigted3406]

Very sad indeed, I couldn't believe that they so readily knocked down the control tower which was just off the side of the west bound carriageway of the 62 . Gone but not forgotten eh 😞

[@markm-ci6rj]

@bigted3406 Was there not talk of preserving the tower, but guess property developers were not happy. The hangers were quite amazing inside, they were used by companies for storage. But Warrington council have a history of failing to protect its heritage , they demolished the baths, the grammar school, there was talk of preserving the church where Winwick hospital was but they failed to do that. Then there was the Cabinet Works in the centre of town, bought it from some property company, took itself to court to get an injunction against itself so the tower couldn't be preserved then paid to get it demolished with no plans for the site. Something really dodgy went on there

[@gjustg1540]

​@markm-ci6rj always something dodgy going on with old properties, many a 'mystery fire'. Just so happens the council's chief executive sits on the board of the major property developers.... I grew up next to Burtonwood air base, great place to play when we were kids. They've built large warehouses on the airfield and thousands of homes on the service area where the warehouses were (Chapelford) but only covered over the entrances to the underground bunkers. They will still be there, probably full of water

[@mana3735]

I went to Rackhouse school in the 70s...I never knew it was built on an old airfield.

[@thetrainguy4797]

I’ve just been there!

[@acme181169]

I thought Shaftesbury ave, Timperley might have been worth a sentence or two. As ever, great work and thank you for your efforts. 😊

[@Wickedacorn]

The KZbin channel "Ringway Manchester" has done a video on this. His channel is mainly about radio-related stuff, but every now and then, he does some local history stuff. If I remember he seems to think it was never an alternative runway.

[@acme181169]

@@Wickedacorn Yes! Hence a sentence or two

[@BeeHereNowuk]

Yeah I'll admit, I just forgot about it 😬

[@RingwayManchester]

Urban legend

[@Wickedacorn]

@@RingwayManchester He is, he really is

[@oXbarnesXo]

Part of the old Stretton site is still in use as a Microlight site. Hope you spoke to them before flying that drone 😂