Averham Meadows
AVERHAM MEADOWS: Temporary Landing Ground, later Temporary Aerodrome
Operated by: Royal Flying Corps in 1913, Shoreham Aviation in 1920
Location: Roughly 1.75nm W of Newark town centre
Periods of operation: Royal Flying Corps, 22nd & 23rd October 1913
Shoreham Aviation Co, 25th to 29th August 1920
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
Once again we have Mike Holder, a great friend of this 'Guide', to thank for both discovering this location and providing the following items.
1913
It appears that Captain C Dawson, making his way north to MONTROSE AIR STATION flying a Maurice Farman No.214, failed to find the RFC nominated field at KELHAM BRIDGE, just a mile or so to the north, and in the failing light landed here instead. He was quickly befriended and was put up in relative luxury at the Clinton Arms Hotel in the centre of Newark.
NO DOUBT A CONVIVIAL PLACE TO STAY OVERNIGHT
In those days any aviator, especially one prepared to venture cross-country, were generally regarded as being heroes. And quite rightly so. In this case, a pilot in the Royal Flying Corps was also an officer whose rank as a Captain, (as in this case), automatically commanded respect. So not expected by the public to find digs in a local B&B.
What we do not know, hardly surprising I suppose, it where his mechanic spent the night? It seems that a police constable, (or two) were standing guard over the machine. Wihout too much doubt the mechanic would have been found somewhere comfortable such as a local inn.
A FULSOME ACCOUNT
This article in four parts, was published in the Newark Herald on the 25th October 1913.
1920
The advert was placed in the Newark Advertiser on the 25th August 1920. The local area and area views are from my Google Earth© derived database.
NOTES: I find it amazing that after over a quarter of a century working on this 'Guide', that so much more is still to be found. Indeed, get the impression of still scratching the surface in many repects. After seeing the advert above I looked at what I had in the SHOREHAM listing, and found nothing about the Shoreham Aviation Company. They were certainly unusual to say the least, still operating early WW1 Royal Aircraft Factory BE.2E types, which presumably had not been modified to carry two passengers? I doubt the operation lasted beyond 1920?
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