At one point in time, Bristol had three airports where public and private flights would take off and land. In 1957, there was Bristol Filton Airport to the north of the city, the newly opened Bristol (Lulsgate) Airport to the south of the city, and the Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport within the city itself.
Today, just one of the airports remains in use. Bristol (Lulsgate) simply became Bristol Airport and is now one of the most popular airports in the country. Filton Airport, which opened officially in 1915 but was manufacturing aeroplanes since 1910, closed in 2012 and is now the location for the Brabazon suburb.
Bristol (Whitchurch) Airport has been long gone, having been the predecessor for Bristol (Lulsgate). The airport was operated by the Corporation of the City of Bristol (now Bristol City Council), who bought 298 acres of farmland, and opened the airport in 1930.
In the first year of operation, the airport would be used by 915 passengers and by 1939, it would handle 4,000 passengers. During the Second World War, it was one of the few civilian airports to remain in use.
The location of the airport, being only three miles south of the city centre, posed problems when it was time to expand. As housing estates surrounded the site which limited runway extension, plans were put into place for a bigger airport away from the city.
In May 1957, Bristol (Lulsgate) would open, and that same year, planes would no longer use Whitchurch Airport, and the airport subsequently closed. One further plane landing would occur at the site, where in 1993, a Cessna 152 aircraft made an emergency landing due to a shortage of fuel.
The former airport has seen a number of developments and differing uses over the following decades. In 1959, the airport was converted into a race track, titled Whitchurch Circuit, where it hosted Formula Two and Formula Three races.
The circuit itself was described as rectangular in shape with four corners, named Dundry, Hangar, Knowle and Goram. A further race meet for motorbikes was held in 1959 but the track was then not used again.
A park would be developed across the majority of the site, which is located between Hartcliffe, Hengrove, Whitchurch and Knowle West. The park would later be known as Hengrove Park.
A leisure centre was built on the site and the South Bristol Community Hospital opened in 2012. A major housing development has been earmarked for the area, which would provide 1,435 new homes and create a new suburb. Half of the new homes would be ‘affordable’, however the project has been plunged into doubt after the council withdrew from its own plans.
Nowadays, part of the runway still remains across the park but none of the buildings can be seen. Markings on the runway can be seen, although many have now faded away to the elements.
There also remains a subtle nod to the history of the site in the form of the Brewers Fayre, located at Hengrove Leisure Park. The pub is named The Wessex Flyer.
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