Embedded Files
a glimpse of the past
From: 152 Autumn 2020
Author: Peter Smith
The WW1 aerodrome at the northern end of the Meadow has been the subject of several previous articles. The Community project, supported by the Freemen Committee, raised enough funds for the stone memorial, unveiled by Tim Stevenson OBE the Lord Lieutenant of Oxfordshire on 23rd May 2018. An information board was also provided, and the 3rd and final element of this worthwhile project – a non-invasive geophysical archaeological survey – has finally been initiated.
At the time of going to print, Abingdon Archaeological Geophysics are well advanced in their survey, taking advantage of the fine September weather. The resident livestock have obstinately inhabited some of the intended survey areas at times, but field work should finish by the end of September/early October, with a report to follow later in the Autumn.
Historic England and Oxford City Council approved the survey of around 7 hectares. It is using Magnetometry to establish what features are under ground near the surface – you may recall this technique from Time Team. Earth Resistance was tested but did not add much, and it takes a lot longer to do.
There were several buildings and structures on the site in WW1, and up to 70 aeroplanes and 800 people based there at the peak in Autumn 1918. Fortunately, we have access to a number of surviving photographs that feature the aerodrome from 1917 to 1919. The most well known one is an oblique aerial showing a range of buildings in May 1918, before its peak. As readers will recall, 17 young airmen died in flying accidents there during WW1, learning to fly flimsy aeroplanes.
We weren’t sure what the survey would reveal. Many of the structures were temporary – the “Bessonneau” hangars were effectively large tents taking up to 6 aeroplanes, and there were 11 of them at the peak in 1918. The wooden admin/stores huts look to have been largely above ground on brick supports. Fingers and more were crossed when the survey began, focussing on the main grouping of buildings at the end of the access road from Godstow Road, built especially for the aerodrome by the Council.
As you can see from the small photo extracts, we were delighted to see very clear remnants coming through. The large Rigging Shed (where aeroplanes were repaired and serviced) can be clearly seen, with its access ramp South onto the Meadow and flying ground. The car park is behind it, with (not shown) the administrative huts and stores beyond that. You can clearly see a hangar shape either side of the Shed, each with its own earth ramp onto the flying ground.
Other results are coming through with a range of features that will require interpretation.
The firing butts (where originally aeroplane machine gun sights were adjusted, subsequently becoming a shooting range) have been located some distance to the West. They are surrounded by, and overlap, Iron age and pre-historic features, including ring features.
Many of these are recorded already from surface archaeology, but some might not be, so it’s going to be fascinating for archaeologists to study these survey plots in detail in due course.
It’s a fascinating and exciting finale to a great project over the past 6 years. Once we have the full results and final survey report, we intend to publish an update article.
It was hoped that the WW1 project funds might have enabled a survey of nearby triangular Hook Meadow, near the railway line. It is understood this was where the 2 civil aerodromes were located, within a sheltered field, in 1911 and 1912/13. Aeroplanes were trundled over bridges onto the Meadow or Wolvercote Common to fly. The 1911 aerodrome (8 sheds) was destroyed in a gale in 1911, and the smaller 1912 one (2 sheds) burnt down in 1913.
Unfortunately project funds were not sufficient, and so this will have to be a potential project for another day when fund raising will be needed.
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