Canford Village
Notes: Without too much doubt, the 'Canford village' referred to in the 1930s, is now CANFORD MAGNA. However, does anybody today know where they performed? See 'Comments' below.
CANFORD VILLAGE: Temporary aerodrome?
Operated by: Alan Cobham’s 1933 No.1 Tour of the UK
Location: Magna Road about 1.5nm SE of Wimborne or was it further south?
Period of operation: 20th August 1933
NOTES: This is a very good example of how often it seemed very hard if not almost impossible to pin down an exact location for many airfields especially temporary aerodromes. The maps today don’t show Canford Village but do show Canford Magna so presumably what was once called Canford village is, (or close to?), what is now called Canford Magna - or do you know better? See 'Comments' below.
The 1933 venue address was ‘Canford Village, Magna Road, Wimborne’.
JUST A COINCIDENCE
To slightly confuse matters further there is a pub on Canford Heath, (a mile or two south of Canford Magna which was once called the ‘Fighter Pilot’ and now called ‘The Pilot’. There is a Bader Road nearby obviously named after that famous pilot. The strange thing is I cannot find any record of a RAF aerodrome anywhere nearby. So why the apparent aviation connection in this area?
Venue (10th July 1934) for Cobham’s 1934 Tour of the UK but addressed Magna Road, Canford, Wimborne.
Venue (31st August) for Cobham’s 1935 No.1 Tour. (Same address)
Mark austin
This comment was written on: 2018-12-01 23:52:05Hi I believe the housing estate of merley/Oakley is the site of a temporary airfield. The willets arms just up the road used to have pilots pop in en route from Poole on their way to tarrant rushton further up the old Somerset and Dorset railway above Wimborne. This area is the only place flat enough along with the lane to the north possibly bordering the perimeter. Also note the names of the roads relate to RFC pilots or planes of ww1. Sopwith and Cockerell amongst them.
Reply from Dick Flute:
Hi Mark, Many thanks, I shall keep this posted. Regards, Dick
Richard Knott
This comment was written on: 2019-11-05 13:43:08I am the archivist at Canford School. We have in our archive extensive correspondence about a proposed aerodrome (Oakley Flying Field) which was to be sited next to the school 'just the other side of the road' in 1939. One letter refers to the time Sir Alan Cobham (whose sons later came to the school) occupied the same field with 'his circus' and how the noise was a 'serious handicap to teaching'. Another letter says that the site had already been 'zoned for deferred development' by Poole and that they were in discussion with the owner about sewerage, so it seems highly likely that the site was as suggested. If you want conclusive proof, I know that plans for the aerodrome were sent to Lawrence, Graham & Co (now Wragge Lawrence Graham & Co) the solicitors in the case. They might well have an an archive.
Dick Flute
This comment was written on: 2019-11-05 19:35:07Hi Richard, Many thanks indeed. This seems to settle the issue. Best regards, Dick
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