Burn Farm
BURN FARM: Precautionary landing site
Operated by: Mr Rowland Ding
Location: Just W of Willington village, just E of the B6286, S of the A690, about 4.5nm WNW of Spennymoor town centre and roughly 6nm SW of Durham city centre
Period of use: 28th July 1914
AN OVERVIEW
It seems that an overview of the circumstances surrounding this short period may well be useful. Rowland Ding set off from GOSFORTH on the 28th July with the intention of flying to his next planned venue at Northallerton, displaying on the 30th July. However, poor weather forced him to make a precautionary landing here, at BURN FARM, Willington, this being some way west of his intended track.
By an amazing coincidence, Willington was going to be his next destination after leaving Northallerton, with displays arranged for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd August. As can be seen in the newspaper articles below, a serious crash during the carnival at Northallerton, on the 30th July, meant that the three-day event at Willington had to be cancelled. We do not know the location intended to be used at Willington, and indeed, it is just possible that Ding didn't either when landing at BURN FARM? The advance advert below does not specify an address/location.
A MICHAEL T HOLDER GALLERY
We have Mike Holder, a long term friend of this 'Guide', to thank for both discovering this location and providing the following items. Also, along the way, Mike and myself, especially, had a few lessons to learn.
The advert was placed in the Durham County Advertiser on the 31st July 1914.
Article One was published in the Durham County Advertiser, also on the 31st July 1914.
The short article was published in the Newcastle Journal, also on the 31st July 1914. Article Two was published in the Durham County Advertiser on the 7th August 1914.
The local area and area views are from my Google Earth © derived database.
NOTES: One of the unexpected benefits deriving from starting this project over a quarter of a century ago, (in 2025), has been to discover just how much has changed during the last 150 years, especially geographically. The large scale demise of heavy industry, and expansion of towns being particlularly noticeable. This listing being a good example of my ever upward learning curve, especially since being a soft southerner, and despite having driven around the northeast and flown over the region a couple of times. Which has, to some extent, given me a rather misleading impression.
When it came to providing a location, thanks to Mike Holder, this was easy enough. However, before carefully reading the newspaper reports, my first assumption was that after Northallerton, the planned three day event at Willington, obviously meant that Ding was going back to Newcastle, this time to the Willington east of Newcastle city centre. Clearly a small village west of Spennymore could not warrant a three-day stay, or for that matter, even a one-day visit.
How wrong could I be? Well, very mistaken. What I did not realise was just how much heavy industry, especially mining, was going on in this area in 1914. The last article above gives some clues. What I did realise, due to making many deliveries 'up north' many years ago, is that heavy industry requires a considerable workforce, plus of course extensive infrastructure to service them. In those days very few people had cars, those that did being of the wealthier middle classes. So, for a major popular event in the UK, such as an exhibition of flying, special extra public transport facilities would be arranged. Trains, trams, omnibuses and charabancs - whatever available required. No doubt taxi services too for the better off.
Also, as with the balloon ascents in the 19th century, such events were major 'money-spinners' for local trades-people. Folks needed fettling, and, being in effect a 'holiday' atmosphere, no doubt other attractions were on offer. As shown in many other listings in this 'Guide', an exhibition of flying before WW1, given by even just one pilot and his machine, could attract large crowds, even very large crowds, and large enough to make many operators of air displays these days, very envious.
We'd love to hear from you, so please scroll down to leave a comment!
Leave a comment ...
Copyright (c) UK Airfield Guide
