What I believe to be the last surviving structure actually within the airport*(excepting three hangars) from the time that Coventry Airport was RAF Baginton has gone.
A Nissen hut adjacent to hangar 3 was recently taken down and scrapped.
Although I am sad, I guess the new owners of the Airport are looking to tidy things up – and the Nissen did look an eyesore and had become something of a dumping ground. The north west corner of the airport once had many small structure/buildings – the Nissen was the last.
* there is an airfield control bunker surviving about 1/2 mile outside the airport boundary which i think is on private land.
Roger Smith.
By: RPSmith - 23rd February 2011 at 20:57
Thanks for posting the picture New Forest.
The hangar behind (one of the four WW2 hangars) was demolished a few years ago – it was considered unsafe.
The brick building must be the old Coventry Aeroplane Club building – that too was demolished a few years ago and you can see the bare square patch of ground where it stood in the bottom centre of Consul’s airiel view. The Tiger Moth (G-AJHO?) is standing where the west entrance access road is now. The CAC built a new hangar/clubhouse/office off Rowley Road on the north side of the Airport – again in Consul’s photo it is the nearest building on the left to the far end of the runway.
Pagen – Battle Headquarters – thats what I meant when I wrote “Airfield control bunker” :o. As I said I don’t believe there are any other WW2 buildings left now. The main runway was only laid down in the 1960s and the (now disused) cross runway only about 15 years ago – then the City Council gave permission for Parcel Force to build a damn great distribution hub at the south end of it and it was closed.
Roger Smith.
By: FLYING SAUCER - 23rd February 2011 at 01:23
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My Dad 1950 Baginton in Tiger Moth (Hotel Oscar?) Judy I think the other was called May?
With some interesting buildings in the background!
By: pagen01 - 22nd February 2011 at 23:42
The Battle Headquarters building still survives at Bagington, would’nt be surprised if some of the Wardens Offices and MQs are still about aswel.
The airfield/runways itself does have features of a classic RAF airfield with early 1940s runway layout, but post-war airport developements disguise this quite well now
By: Consul - 22nd February 2011 at 23:02
Roger
Shame it’s gone. You can see the blue painted hut in this shot which I took of CVT when returning to base from Sywell’s show last year.
Tim
By: FLYING SAUCER - 22nd February 2011 at 21:20
Just a little snippet of info for you. In the late 40’s early 50’s my Dad flew one of the Tiger Moths in the evenings from Baginton. He told me many fascinating things, he remembered them taxying early jets across the grass, and on one occasion (his usual instructor was away) he was instructed by Bill Else (noted test pilot)
I am in the process of finding a period photo of my Dad in one of the Moths with some buildings on that may interest you. Bear with me!
By: RPSmith - 22nd February 2011 at 20:54
Nashio – I would only surmise that it was an active field (aerodrome) when the RAF arrived and also, presumably, maintained some civil status due to the presence of Armstrong Whitworth.
Roger Smith.
By: Nashio966 - 22nd February 2011 at 20:41
Very sad Roger 🙁
I always found it strange that Raf Baginton/Coventry doesnt seem to confirm to a standard RAF layout?
When you look at it from the air, it looks much like a modern built airport
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February 22, 2011 at 7:30 pm