Hi there.
Long time lurker and occaisional poster, got a query about one aspect of RAF Sandtoft’s history.
The airfield is dissected by the main road between Sandtoft village and Belton, was this road already there when they built the airfield or was it put through after its closure?
For some strange reason this site isn’t listed in my reference book on airfields of Lincolnshire and the East Midlands, despite the fact all the surrounding airfields are there :confused: Anyone else got any reference material on the site (apart from the obvious websites)?
TIA
By: Arabella-Cox - 24th April 2007 at 18:40
That’s brilliant, many thanks.
As your familiar with the area, am I correct in assuming that the former main entrance was South of the airfield, where thos farm buildings are?
By: cypherus - 23rd April 2007 at 19:59
This one I can cover with some accuracy, The road linking Westgate, Belton and Sandtoft had been there for many years prior to 1940 and was and still is known as Belton road for the section spanning the airfield, from there it is named as Sandtoft road running into Westgate road.
During the active period of the airfield the road was closed and mostly either dug up or covered within the airfield boundry, not sure when it was reinstated to it’s current though, possibly in the late sixties, I recall going to Sandtoft with my Dad to collect roof tiles on a number of occasions around that time and the main part of the airfield was then still intact though bisected by the road.
While the road was closed locals, what few were left in the area had to use the West end road to Epworth then up the A161 into Belton or they could walk or cycle the track way that ran on the west side of the New Idle drain upto the bridge at Sandtoft road.
Many years ago My Grandfather showed me some grainy Black and whites of the area when he had been called out to recover a steam shovel that had slipped into the New Idle during dredging, this would have been in the early thirties, He told me they had dragged it out and started off the journey too a workshop/Blacksmiths at Hatfield Woodhouse with it mounted on some ‘Gash’ wheels towed by a sentinal steam truck but had eventually to give up the idea when an axle broke and they ended up leaving the thing in Plains lane to await repair.
Anyway the answer to your question is yes it was always there, closed during the stations operational period and eventually re-opened though not sure of the date.
Sign In
April 23, 2007 at 4:31 pm