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Summary

Haldon airfield at Little Haldon originated in 1929 as a civil grass airstrip on an area of open moorland. Civil flights ceased in September 1939, and attempts to reopen for civilian use in 1946 did not succeed.Elements of both the civil and wartime airfield infrastructure, including associated earthwork defences and buildings, are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SX97NW/146

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• AIRFIELD (XX to World War II - 1929 AD to 1939 AD (Between))

Full description

SAUNDERS, Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV28723.

William parkhouse landed on haldon golf course on 6/5/1928. First air meeting 21/9/1929. Passenger services started 12/4/1933. Used pre-war for trials of landing aids (saunders).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV291704.

Des=os 6" provisional (1933/1938)110nw.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV291705.

Des=os 6"(1963).

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV291707.

Saunders, k. A. /devon aerodromes in old photographs/(1994)89-106.

Untitled Source (Migrated Record). SDV148.

"haldon aerodrome" marked on os 6" (1933/38) map. Marked as disused on the 1963 map (os).

Horner, W., 05/07/1995, Haldon Airfield (Un-published). SDV356971.

Royal Air Force, 1946, RAF/CPE/UK/1824, RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RP 3084-3085 04-NOV-1946 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352344.

A landing circle and airfield identifier name are visible.

Royal Air Force, 1950, RAF/541/520, RAF/541/520 4014-4015 13-MAY-1950 (Aerial Photograph). SDV352112.

Airfield structures remain visible.

Ashworth, C., 1982, Action Station 5: Military Airfields of the South-West, 91 (Monograph). SDV20446.

Haldon Airfield at Little Haldon originated in 1929 as a civil grass airstrip on an area of open moorland to the north of Haldon golf course. It had been established by a local engineering company and soon became a popular sporting venue. The Teignmouth Air Race Cup was keenly contested throughout the 1930's. Passenger services operated by the Great Western Railway from Cardiff to Plymouth began to stop at Haldon and by 1934 services were being operated by provincial airways and railway air services. The straight corporation took over management of the airport in 1937 and a regular summer service, on a request stop basis, was run until civil flights ceased in September 1939. Attempts to reopen for civilian use in 1946 did not succeed.

Jury, R., 1995, Haldon Airfield (Worksheet). SDV357260.

Great Western Railway ran flights to London from about 1932-1938.

Horner, W., 1996, Haldon Airfield/HMS Heron (Worksheet). SDV356972.

Francis, P., 1999, Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council, 18 (Report - non-specific). SDV323390.

Next Perspectives, 2015-2017, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX9176 08-JUN-2018 & 08-AUG-2015 (Aerial Photograph). SDV361515.

Most elements of the airfield are no longer identifiable.

Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R., 2018-2019, The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley (Interpretation). SDV361305.

Elements of both the civil and wartime infrastructure of Haldon airfield are visible on aerial photographs of 1946 onwards as earthworks and buildings.
Key elements of the civil airfield to survive into 1946 include a landing circle and airfield identifier. Visible as line approximately 1m wide, possibly formed of concrete, paint or simply mown, the circle is 29m in diameter and centred on circa SX91777634. Approximately 35m to the west, the incomplete remainder of the airfield identifier is visible spelling ‘..ALDON’ in letters 5m high. The landing circle is overgrown but just identifiable on images derived from aerial photographs of 2015. The airfield identifier to the west is not identifiable on images post-dating 2016. The airfield clubhouse and enclosure walls are visible as a building at SX91687591 (MDV54207) on the 1946 images. Only the enclosure walls remain visible as slight structures on images derived from aerial photographs of 2015, largely overgrown.

Sources / Further Reading

SDV148	Migrated Record:
SDV20446	Monograph: Ashworth, C.. 1982. Action Station 5: Military Airfields of the South-West. Action Station 5: Military Airfields of the South-West. Hardback Volume. 91.
SDV28723	Migrated Record: SAUNDERS.
SDV291704	Migrated Record:
SDV291705	Migrated Record:
SDV291707	Migrated Record:
SDV323390	Report - non-specific: Francis, P.. 1999. Exeter Airport. Historic Airport Survey for Devon County Council & East Devon District Council. Airfield Research Publishing Report. Digital + A4. 18.
SDV352112	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1950. RAF/541/520. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/541/520 4014-4015 13-MAY-1950.
SDV352344	Aerial Photograph: Royal Air Force. 1946. RAF/CPE/UK/1824. Royal Air Force Aerial Photograph. Photograph (Paper). RAF/CPE/UK/1824 RP 3084-3085 04-NOV-1946. [Mapped feature: #115199 ]
SDV356971	Un-published: Horner, W.. 05/07/1995. Haldon Airfield. File Note. A4 Stapled.
SDV356972	Worksheet: Horner, W.. 1996. Haldon Airfield/HMS Heron. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV357260	Worksheet: Jury, R.. 1995. Haldon Airfield. Defence of Britain Project. Worksheet + Digital.
SDV361305	Interpretation: Hegarty, C., Knight, S. and Sims, R.. 2018-2019. The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping Survey. Area 1, Haldon Ridge to Dart Valley. Historic England Research Report. Digital.
	Linked documents:1
SDV361515	Aerial Photograph: Next Perspectives. 2015-2017. Aerial Photography for Great Britain. Digital. Next Perspectives APGB Imagery SX9176 08-JUN-2018 & 08-AUG-2015.

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events

• EDV4774 - Historic Airport Survey, Exeter Airport
• EDV7515 - The South Devon Coast to Dartmoor Aerial Investigation and Mapping (formerly NMP) Survey (Ref: ACD1748)

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