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Blackwater
Blackwater maps
Historic maps of Blackwater and the local area, hand-drawn by Ordnance Survey and Samuel Lewis. View all Blackwater maps
Blackwater photos
We have no photos of Blackwater, although we do have photos of these nearby places:
Blackwater| Hawley| Sandhurst| York Town| Little Sandhurst| Yateley| Cove| Camberley| Wellington College| Farnborough| Frimley| Crowthorne| Frimley Green| Mytchett| Fleet| Deepcut| Elvetham| Eversley| Finchampstead| Hartford Bridge| Bagshot| Easthampstead| Church Crookham| Ash Vale| Pilcott| Hartley Wintney| Harmans Water| Winchfield| Phoenix Green| Bracknell
Blackwater area books
Displaying 1 of 18 books about Blackwater and the local area. View all books for this area
You can read extracts and browse photos from these books.
Memories of Blackwater
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Surrey memories
Living With Planes
In about 1961 my father became the manager of Blackbushe Airport. As a result my mother, brother (16) and I (9) moved from our comfortable town house in Cheltenham to a large mobile home attached to, what was then, the middle of the long terminal building. We weathered high winds, blizzards, beating heat, pounding demolition, aircraft running up within inches of the front window, eccentrics using our roof as an escape root, enjoyed crowds of drag racing fans, air shows, trials for land yachts, fiberglass sports cars and mono-planes, watched the making of TV adverts, serials and a film with Robert Mitcham, met with various film crews, celebrities including Dick Emery (and others that I don't remember, being so young) and experienced wonderful wildlife, life with horses, dogs, cats and goodness knows what.
For my father it was an opportunity to develop an airfield from derelict to successful business, for my mother it was a bit of a nightmare, with little control over her life, less privacy than she... Read more
South East Englands Best Airport Site!
As a small boy in the 1950s I would be taken to see the aircraft at Blackbushe, then London's second airport. Blackbushe was London Heathrow's main fog diversion as it always has been one of the most fog free airports in the UK. So what was to be seen in the 50s? It was the home of the US Navy, Europe, and the spawning ground for many independent airlines, Dan Air, Eagle, Silver City, Britavia etc etc. Airwork were based there with their military contracts. Trooping flights, royal flights, and regular passenger flights to many distant parts. Unique in having a major road run through the middle, the A30 London Southampton road provided excellent opportunities for watching the proceedings. During the war Blackbushe, known as RAF Hartford Bridge at the time, was home to many military units and saw the Free French, Dutch, Canadian, Polish air forces operating along side RAF squadrons. I became directly involved in 1960 when the government decided to close Blackbushe to support Gatwick where they had invested... Read more
Wartime Boyhood
Living just off Park St, Camberley, our house was on the landing approach flight path. With my dad's binoculars from the First World War I watched the Boston III's and Mitchells coming back from daylight raids with holes and bits missing, flying low right over our house on long approach. I spent my days and nights watching the air, giving me memories of every type of aircraft that existed, including captured German planes out from the RAE. (At the post-war RAE shows I had a close-up of those German aircraft and actually sat in an Me 163 rocket plane.) I also used to cycle over to the RAE and stand at the gate watching the flight path. One day I was rewarded with a terrific roaring sound and coming toward me was the Gloster jet with a P in a circle on its fuselage. I hurried home to tell of the plane without an engine. Later I stood amazed at the huge number of Flying Fortresses coming over, glinting in the... Read more
Blackbushe 1940's 1970's
I first visited Hartfordbridge Flats, as the area was originally known, in 1949, when I lived at Farnborough. I too remember seeing various WWII aircraft on the site and the runway which extended southwards across the A30 resulting in the diversion whilst that road was closed during WWII.
In 1972 I returned when the airport was owned by the redoubtable Doug Arnold, a WWII NCO fighter pilot and who among other things had a collection of - and dealt in- WWII aircaraft. Mithchells, JU-52s, a B-17 Fortress from France, a Mosquito -which went to Kermit Weeks in USA. Others included his MkIV Spitfire, previously the personal plane of AVM Robb; and which was flown magnificently by Niel Williams who had been World Aerobatic Champion. There were the CASA 111s, a Spanish version of the Heinkel, in one of which Neil sadly perished.
Doug fought hard against other interests to develop the airfield which was referred to in a review of future General Aviation in the... Read more
Flying Out of Blackbushe on A US Navy C47 Aircraft
Obtained a hop out of Blackbushe on a US Navy C47 bound for Naples Italy and Rheine Maine Germany. I was a US Regular Army soldier stationed in Germany on leave in London. Great time, enjoyed the British people. Had many interesting conversations with locals. Have a great day.
The Golden Farmer
I used to live in Maultway North - the turning directly to the right of the Jolly Farmer - in the mid 1980's, so I have hazy memories of the pub as a customer. But I remember feeling the place to be cut off from the rest of the world - it was always a challenge crossing the London Road as the pub is smack bang in the middle of a busy roundabout. A million miles away from this tranquil image. The legend of the Golden Farmer (where the pub gets its name) always fascinated me - he was a farmer by day but a highwayman by night who robbed rich travellers on their way to London. Famed for paying all his debts in gold, he was eventually caught and hung from the gibbet which stands outside the pub, where he was left for all to see. His gold was never recovered and is rumored to be buried nearby. My efforts towards finding the treasure remain unrewarded! No longer a pub, The... Read more
1960s And Prior -London Road Haunts
I was born in Bagshot but moved to Camberley in 1955 when I was 8. I attended York Town Primary School which was, and on checking the maps still appears to be, located on the other side of the London Road, a bit further down from what was once the Odeon cinema. Later on, like Gaynor Henderson (Smith), I went to France Hill School and in 1966 also married a soldier from the RMA. I moved to Australia in early 1973 shortly after my marriage failed and now live on North Stradbroke Island with my new partner. When we talk of our early years I fondly recall my old haunts along the London Road - the Blue Pool and waiting impatiently for opening day on the first of April each year then nearly freezing to death, the Cambridge Hotel and trad jazz nights in the room out the back, Moss Bros shop where as a child I'd press my nose against the window drooling over the saddlery, the Staff College... Read more
