Hooton Park

[CDP]

Hooton Park was opened in 1917 as No. 4 Training Depot Station. Four General Service Sheds were erected that year, anticipating the assembly of aircraft shipped from the US via Liverpool but this never happened. During WW2, Hooton Park became a Coastal Command station. During 1941, two runways were laid.

In 1942, the station passed to RAF Technical Training. This role lasted until 1944, when the station passed to RAF Maintenance Command as a storage facility (with 61 MU in residence). A variety of units passed through Hooton Park until it closed in 1962.

The site is now largely owned by Vauxhall, who use the existing NW/SE runway as storage.

The General Service Sheds are Grade II Listed, two (No. 2 and No. 3 Hangar) of which are owned by the Hooton Park Trust (http://www.hootonparktrust.co.uk/), who are hoping to restore them. The No. 1 Hangar is in the process of being demolished. A number of other buildings also remain. (photos taken October '09)

Views around No. 1 Hangar
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7111.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7068.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7080.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/CSC_7190.jpg

Would would like to thank the people at Hooton Park for showing us around.

Chris

[CDP]

A few more...

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7097.jpg

Avro Anson C.19 G-AGPG
http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7082.jpg

http://i292.photobucket.com/albums/mm29/222sqn/DSC_7086.jpg

Chris

[PNK]

And it has one of those bomb drop towers as well?

[REF]

Nice pics of another interesting site Chris, did you see or get pic of the Gannet forward fusalage at all?

Should add, the only aircraft I saw there was the Anson (G-AGPG) (http://richardflagg.fotopic.net/p61482152.html), a cockpit section of HS.748 (G-ORAL) (http://richardflagg.fotopic.net/p61482153.html) and a Sea Hawk Cockpit, I didn't photograh that as it was wrapped up in tarpaulins and covers!!

[REF]

An undated photo of RAF Hooton Park. Photo supplied and reproduce with the permission of The Hooton Park Trust

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/ALL%20OTHER%20PHOTOS/Hooton%20Park%20Trust/AerialviewfromSouth-east.jpg

[Colski]

I dropped in 4 years ago, and was very nicely allowed to take a tour...

Shame about hangar 1 though...

[Jon H]

Chaps,


Being a local lad and having some involvement with Hooton let me answer a few questions.

Firstly Hangar 1 is not being demolished. It has been cordoned off for several years now as sadly it became structurally unsound. The damage photgraphed is as a result of the trusses finally giving way after years of exposure to the elements....

Also the Gannet cockpit hasnt been there for a few years now. Last I heard the owner of it has it on loan to an ATC squardon somewhere in the Greater Manchester area.

If I can help with anything else just ask and will do what I can to answer :)

During your trip did you pop around the corner to see the 4th Hangar still standing?

Jon

[REF]

Information received from Jayne Wright


The Hooton Park Trust has secured funding to replace the entire roof covering for its No 2 Belfast Hanger at Ellesmere Port in Chesshire. £275 000 in funding has been provided through its oun trust's resources, Vauxhall Motors and some additional funding from WREN and B&Q

[CDP]

So I cannot be accused of paraphrasing and as a result, getting anything wrong or out of context, Hooton Park is very much the centre of attention of this thread on Key, including a sad photo of the collapsed hangar:

http://forum.keypublishing.com/showthread.php?t=114711

Hooton Discussion very much picks up from about half way down the first page and onto the second. The whole thread is started by a sorry state of affairs at Elvington concerning an issue over a job and subsequent tribunal.

Please be careful with any comments if you read this as the situation at Hooton seems to be on-going (and so are ARG in a few days, so be VERY careful!!!). Let's keep it about the airfield site/buildings and memorial and NOT the the pros and cons of how a place is managed!

Chris (site admin)

[REF]

This building looks like a Gym & Chancel, can anyone confirm:
http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm?lat=53.307699908520966&lon=-2.947908639907837&gz=19&oz=7&gt=1

[buccaneer66]

Hooton Park hangars were on BBC2 this evening with John Craven & Jules Hudson, look for Britains Heritage Heros on iplayer.

[advancedbiker]

Saw Hooton Park on BBC2 and popped in today and took some photographs. Here is a link: http://www.wix.com/motorcycletraining/photography#!portfolio/vstc3=hooton-park

[CDP]

Saw Hooton Park on BBC2 and popped in today and took some photographs. Here is a link: http://www.wix.com/motorcycletraining/photography#!portfolio/vstc3=hooton-park

That Hangar (No. 3) is looking pretty sad! Nice photos advancedbiker (and welcome!).

Chris

[carmedic]

some photo's from a tour in April 2010

http://i39.tinypic.com/30ry83l.jpg

hangar 3
http://i44.tinypic.com/mudiex.jpg

http://i42.tinypic.com/23qxz6t.jpg

1946 Auster J1N
http://i42.tinypic.com/352hqug.jpg

the surviving NW section of the runway at Hooton Park
http://i41.tinypic.com/bfp86.jpg

Drawing on the wall of COMPER CLA7 SWIFT which were built at Hooton Park
http://i42.tinypic.com/t9zihg.jpg

[REF]

Photos from the ARG visit to Hooton Park on 26 Feb 2012 taken by Nigel Bailey-Underwood

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/ALL%20OTHER%20PHOTOS/Nigel%20Bailey-Underwood/HootonPark26Feb20124.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/ALL%20OTHER%20PHOTOS/Nigel%20Bailey-Underwood/HootonPark26Feb20123.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/ALL%20OTHER%20PHOTOS/Nigel%20Bailey-Underwood/HootonPark26Feb20122.jpg

http://i211.photobucket.com/albums/bb198/Flyer719/ALL%20OTHER%20PHOTOS/Nigel%20Bailey-Underwood/HootonPark26Feb20121.jpg

[PETERTHEEATER]

I'm intrigued by the Shooting-in Butt; very unusual, I don't know of another like it.

[tigger]

I'm intrigued by the Shooting-in Butt; very unusual, I don't know of another like it.

Indeed. CDP has airfield plans so there might be a drawing number for it on those. I'd have walked over to get some better photos but the go-carts were thundering around. I'll pop back over sometime soon to try and get more photos of it (plus the B1 hangar if it's not surrounded by junk still) and also work out how to get to the gym / chancel (not off the same road as the other buildings)

http://wtp2.appspot.com/wheresthepath.htm?lat=53.310365059781184&lon=-2.9416269063949585&gz=19&oz=10&gt=1

better and more recent aerial via bing: http://binged.it/AjGd6r

[NJR]

ARG members "at work" during the ARG visit on Sunday 26th Feb 2012

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t145/ryan7480_bucket/hooton077.jpg

http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t145/ryan7480_bucket/hooton078.jpg