Old Norton Aerodrome

[Pete R]

I remember back in the seventies you could take learner drivers round the Norton aerodrome, there was a series of roads, juctions and roundabouts all marked up, the hours of fun we had in our plastic pig driving round there. (sigh) happy daze.

[Floridablade]

The Norton aerodrome was between the road to Coal Aston and the road to Chesterfield and Norton Lees Rd on three sides.

[mickr]

I remember going there as a youngster in 1953 or 54 for some kind of commemoration - VE Day? There were airplanes flying around but it was a wet and overcast day. They fired some kind of field gun at the end that scared the s--- out of me! Does anyone remember these celebrations??

[Smileysal]

ooooh thank you for all the replies. Will have to bribe the parents to look after the toddler and go searching around now, and get some pics. Thanks again,

 

Cheers,

 

Sal

[cartav]

Hope you've got all this, Sal. Briefly, the 1st WW airfield was beside the dual carriageway to Chesterfield. It's gone now. The 2nd WW RAF camp was, & still remains in part, beside the dual carriageway above the Gleadless Valley estate......( More detail on the Norton airfield thread, but take some of it with a pinch of salt...) Certainly, it was a barrage balloon maintenance depot, a detention centre for LMF cases (those aircrew who said they'd fly no more and were judged to Lack Moral Fibre) and a repair depot for radio equipment. The hangars that were there, once, were for barrage balloons, not aircraft. I'm told there were no take off or landing facilities, it was purely a ground station.

 

As far as I know there were no other RAF facilities around Sheffield, but there is a post war private landing strip at Apperkowle and, of course, the airport facility at Tinsley which is used by light aircraft and helicopters.

[milted]

The old airfield was as some one has said was at Norton. Starting from the old Norton hotel,turn tothe left on the ring Rd The aerodrome was on your right hand as far as Dyche Lane Turn down Dyche lane, and the Runway was over the road on the left hand side before you get to the bend Not to be confused with the

Balloon barrarge,over towards the Water tower at the top of Blackstock Rd towards Gleadless opposite, the old Bagshaw Arms.Never an operational site but aalways referred to as one

I visited Norton Two or three times in the early thirties to see sir Alan Cobham's air display,and his "Flying Flees" The "Birdman" did jumpout of a plane,Flap about a bit then open his "chute" I remember it well Costof a tram ride from Pinstone St to Meadowhead,?halfpenny Happy days.