Broom Hall
BROOM HALL: Private airstrip, later civil aerodrome (Aka PWLLEHI)
Note: These six pictures were kindly provided by Mr Michael T Holder. The picture of the crashed Hornet Moth G-ADJY was sourced from Liverpool Echo published on the 7th April 1937.
Operated by: Mid to late 1930s - Mr W R P Evans
Post WW2: Butlins Holiday Camps initially it appears
Airline users: Cambrian Air Services
Pleasure flights: Post 1945: Cambrian Air Services, Dragon Airways
Location: Just N of the A497, roughly NE of Pwllehi town centre
Period of operation: Private: Possibly from 1935 to 1937
Then, 1946 to the mid 1960s
NOTES: Is there any evidence of private GA activity here?
The history of this site, gleaned over the last twenty years, needed a lot of sorting out. Fortunately I had Graham Frost and Mike Holder helping me, bless them both. I just hope I now have the story told correctly.
See also the seperate entry for the BROOM HALL gliding site in this region.
Whilst looking into apsects of SPEKE (Liverpool) airport I came across this information on the North West Air News website. "Shortly after the end of the war, the Butlins Holiday Camp group started pleasure flights at many of its holiday camps around the country. However, by 1952 this had ceased or been handed over to private charter companies." Clearly this claim that Butlins ran their own "private airline" needs further investigation. Can anybody kindly offer advice?
"One of these companies was Dragon Airways, a small Welsh charter company founded early in 1953 to operate pleasure flights from the Butlins Holiday camp airfield at Broom Hall, near Pwllheli in North Wales. These joy-riding operations commenced in June 1953 with a Dragon Rapide leased from Murray Chown Aviation. However, this aircraft was lost in an accident at Pwllheli in July 1953 while operating a pleasure flight, and operations temporarily suspended."
"Charter operations were resumed on 10th September 1953 when Dragon Airways took delivery of its own Dragon Rapide, G-AKOB, which during the following winter was used on a number of ad-hoc passenger and freight charter flights." In January 1954, Dragon Airways moved to SPEKE.
However, it also appears that in May 1954 a license was applied for and granted, for services from Manchester (RINGWAY) and Liverpool (SPEKE), to PWLLHELI. This service could use Dragon Rapides, a Miles Gemini or even an Auster if loads were very light - i.e two adult passengers. What I think is very interesting indeed, is that permission to use, in the future, a Scottish Aviation Twin Pioneer.
It appears that these aircraft also performed pleasure flights when at BROOM HALL. The aircraft involved appear to be: DH89A Dragon Rapides G-AKOB and G-AHPT, the Miles Gemini G-AKEM and the Auster J/4 G-AIPH.
ANOTHER SMALL DETAIL
Starways started operations with a Percival Q6 Petrel, ferrying mostly, celebrities around, especially to Blackpool. It appears this aircraft crashed here in May 1950, and was replaced by an Avro Anson. But, although trying to some extent without spending days, I cannot find the registration.
BACK TO THE START
Graham Frost sent me this account he had found:
"This was a private airfield initially developed for the use of William Prys Evans, the son of Lt-Col Owen Lloyd-Jones-Evans of Broom Hall......who flew a D.H. Hornet Moth G-ADY." This was G-ADJY. He crashed and was killed shortly after attempting to take-off in his Hornet Moth on the 6th April 1937. The accident report found by Mike Holder failed to identify the cause of the accident. Mike also found a report of the crash in the Liverpool Echo published on the 6th April 1937 in which the aircraft type was described as a Puss Moth.
This is not quite as bad a case of mis-reporting as it might appear. I have found an account that W P Evans flew, if not owned, the DH80A Puss Moth G-AAXW. The problem being trying to square the circle. Registered in June 1930, according to official records G-AAXW was based at HANWORTH AIR PARK and registered to Mr Henry Claude Moorhouse, from July 1933 to April 1937 when it was written off. Presumably in a crash?
G-ADJY on the other hand, was first registered to Rollason Aircraft Services at CROYDON on the 29th July 1935. It was then sold and re-registered to W P Evans on the 5th June 1936.
HEALTH WARNING
If you decide to investigate all aspects of aviation history seeking a definitive answer, this will most probably result in serious mental health issues.
Graham also found this imformation: "In 1946 the Broomhall estate was purchased by Billy Butlin who was in the process of converting HMS Glendower into the Pwllheli Butlins holiday camp. A keen aviator, Butlin purchased additional land from the adjoining Rhedynog Ganol farm to enlarge the airstrip and provide two runways North-South (2150ft long - my note 655 metres), and East-West (1800ft long - 550 metres)."
"Flights were provided for Butlin campers, few of whom had flown before. Cambrian Airways began a commercial service from the airfield to Cardiff and Dublin using Rapide aircraft. The Dublin to Broom Hall fare was £8.25p. Following a fatal accident involving an Auster, activity at Broom Hall came to an end in the mid-1960s and the main hangar was then demolished. The land was then sold back to Rhedynog Isaf and is now used for sheep."
Note: Graham Frost found this picture. It looks like it could be from a postcard, so presumably not having copyright issues? The aircraft, is I think, a Fairchild Argus?
A MOST INTERESTING ACCOUNT
Graham Frost also sent me this account of the opening day, 20th September 1947, from which I shall quote a few passages.
"To come to the actual object of my visit to Pwllheli Holiday Camp, namely the opening of Mr. Butlins new Broom Hall Airfield. One should try and picture a beautiful range of mountains running down to the sea, and just before the land touches the sea a small plateau which has been made into a charming little airfield. The fact that I term this a little airfield should not mislead anyone, because the present runways are to be considerably extended."
"Nevertheless Austers, which land on a tennis-court anyhow, Fairchilds, Proctors and a Consul* found no difficulty in using the airfield in its present form, although the main runway was cross-wind." The author trumpets the ease of obtaining a cup of tea, and was told that a sun-trap coffee lounge would soon be added. He also says that after the official opening - "The flying programme was certainly very hectic."
*I have been sent two pictures of Billy Butlin standing next to the Airspeed AS.65 Consul G-AIKU. This was registered to his company from 25.09.46 to 26.06.50. Unfortunately these images are copyrighted.
"Demonstrations of aircraft included the Auster Autocrat showing its paces in slow flying, and a down-wind beat up. The Danish K. Z. Lark followed, then a really excellent aerobatic display by the De Havilland Chipmunk, piloted by W C Smith. Ronnie Payne of Wolverhampton seemed to do all he could with a Miles Magister by his display of aerobatics. Some thirty-three aircraft in all turned up at Pwllheli." And, he mentions, that many people took advantage of joy-rides on offer - presumably on a commercial basis?
ONE OF THE JOYS OF RUNNING THIS 'GUIDE'.
In March 2025 I was kindly contacted by Ms. Julie Roberts who lives on the Broom Hall estate. She has chosen to use history of BROOM HALL as the subject for her Open University dissertation. In her research the gardener kindly lent her these three pictures of the aerodrome for scanning, and, having found this 'Guide', asked me if I would be interested? Well, is the Pope a Catholic?
Imagine my delight on seeing the two aerial photographs, which I assume, must surely have been taken on the Opening Day on the 20th July 1947. I cannot image this many aircraft visiting on any other occassion?
The out of focus Picture Two was captioned as being the Dragon Airways, Dragon Rapide, G-AHPT about to take-off.
The de Havilland DH89A Dragon Rapide, G-AHPT, was registered to Dragon Airways, then based at SPEKE (Liverpool), from 16.02.54 until 03.02.56.
colin smith
This comment was written on: 2020-06-30 18:49:19My father was at the opening of this Butlins airfield I have a couple of photos, they ran an aviation competition the same day
Dick Flute
This comment was written on: 2020-06-30 18:56:23Hi Colin, Is there any chance of e-mailing me scans of those pictures? J-peg format please. Best regards, Dick
Grant Peerless
This comment was written on: 2020-12-06 14:45:41Hi Dick The Starways Percival Q6 which was destroyed in accident on 6 May 1949 was G-AFIX
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