Talk:London Biggin Hill Airport/Archive 1

This is an archive of past discussions. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

I've just re-written the history of Biggin and removed some information that, as far as I am aware, was inaccurate regarding Bernie Ecclestone's ownership of the airport.

The airport freehold is owned by the London Borough of Bromley and it is leased to Regional Airports Limited (who also own Southend). That is why there is the constant wranglign over scheduled flights - LBB insisit that the terms of their lease to RAL do not allow scheduled flights, RAL insist that they do. I'm not aware of Bernie Ecclestone owning this company, but I stand by to be corrected. Therefore I have removed the reference to his ownership.

BaseTurnComplete 19:48, 17 December 2005 (UTC)

In the post-war years it was possible to wander up a lane running beside the clubhouse of the Downe Golf Club and straight onto the Biggin Hill runway. Milk Lane is still shown on Ordnance Survey maps but I assume it has now been closed off. Can anyone confirm? El Ingles 20:52, 29 January 2007 (UTC)

I would assume so. In common with many other airports, after 9/11 Biggin uprated its security somewhat, including fences and code-operated gates where there was once unfettered pedestrian access. BaseTurnComplete 11:09, 13 March 2007 (UTC)

Has anyone got any more information on the Masterplan, beyond what is listed in the Airports PDF document? I notice that (at the time of writing this) planning applications are on show on the gates of the airport, and more recently, signs for construction traffic have appeared.
(Jaruzel 17:50, 9 February 2007 (UTC))

The source:

"Terrible winter that Biggin Hill went on strike". Sevenoaks Chronicle. 6 April 2017. p. 16.

(on Proquest, but paywalled) reports a mutiny over conditions at the airfield, in the winter of 1918-19. Does anyone have a more detailed source? It also mentions personnel being stationed at Aperfield Court; does anyone know anything about that? Andy Mabbett (Pigsonthewing); Talk to Andy; Andy's edits 09:42, 28 July 2020 (UTC)

Hi Andy, I think Aperfield Court was one of the houses taken over for the station (together with Koonowla House and Cudham Lodge). From Hibbert, Christopher; Weinreb, Ben; Keay, Julia; Keay, John (2008). The London Encyclopaedia. Macmillan. p. 68. ISBN 978-1-4050-4924-5. "There were two or three large houses including Aperfield Court ... in 1917 Aperfield Court with its spacious grounds, about 2 miles from the aerodrome, was requisitioned and a powerful wireless transmitter installed for ground control of fighter aeroplanes ... Aperfield Court was demolished in 1920 and a few years later, when the aerodrome was being further developed and extended, Lord Stanhope agreed to sell the whole property inlcuding Cudham Lodge Farm" - Dumelow (talk) 06:44, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

A bit on the mutiny but couldn't find much on Google Books. Possibly newspapers of the time would be a good source - Dumelow (talk) 06:53, 29 July 2020 (UTC)

• "Purely service grievances dominated the mutiny of 700 RAF technical staff at Biggin Hill on 7 January. They occupied the camp ..." from: James, Lawrence (1987). Mutiny in the British and Commonwealth Forces, 1797-1956. Buchan & Enright, Publishers. p. 105. ISBN 978-0-907675-70-9.
• "After that war ended there was a mutiny at Biggin Hill (and several other RAF stations) over the unsatisfactory living conditions and faulty demobilisation arrangements. It was sensibly settled by sympathetic officers." from: Aircraft. Royal Aeronautical Society Australian Division. 1957. p. 77.
• The cause was apparently "poor food and sanitation, with eight washbasins for 700 men" Kinvig, Clifford (2007). Churchill's Crusade: The British Invasion of Russia, 1918-1920. A&C Black. p. 87. ISBN 978-1-84725-021-6.

• Bob Ogley's book Biggin on the Bump may have some info. Can't say for certain as I haven't got a copy myself. Mjroots (talk) 13:07, 31 July 2020 (UTC)

I added the bits above to the article - Dumelow (talk) 16:08, 2 August 2020 (UTC)