Windermere 1 Airfield - 100 Years - Ferry Nab, Bowness-on-Windermere
N 54° 21.326 W 002° 55.693
30U E 504665 N 6023070
This substantial stone marker celebrates Windermere's role in starting the seaplane industry one hundred years ago. At Cockshott Point and Hill of Oaks, the first ever British float planes were launched and flown in 1911.
Waymark Code: WMD8WQ
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 12/06/2011
Views: 7
A new charity has been conceived to mark the lost airfields of Britain. Some of the first markers to celebrate this demise have been placed in Cumbria. Six in Cumbria, to date. Two are on the shores of Windermere.
The lake's southern basin was chosen by chance as the sight of the earliest attempts at taking off and landing on water. Perceived to be safer than crashing on land. In fact water is as hard as earth when approaching the surface at speed. Hill of Oaks was chosen as that is where Captain Wakefield owned some land. The site of his early experiments were
WM9QV8 .
This polished granite marker is placed within sight of Cockshott Point, a National Trust property, and not far from Hill of Oaks, which is a privately run caravan park. Ferry Nab is a public access site run by LDNPA. Cockshott Point was the site of a hangar which was destroyed by a storm, taking with it the early float planes. Marking 100 years since first float plane flew in UK on Windermere.
The Inscription reads.
"In Memory of
Windermere 1 Airfield
Opened 25.11.1911
Closed 1920
Dedicated to all units
and personnel based here
Airfields of Britain
Conservation Trust
www.abct.org.uk
Unveiled by K P Bannerman
Director General ABCT
25.11.2011"