Samlesbury Aerodrome 3

Samlesbury Aerodrome is a disused airfield at Balderstone near Samlesbury, in the Ribble Valley district of Lancashire. The aerodrome is owned by defence company BAE Systems which uses the site for manufacturing of several aircraft types. Currently BAE employ approximately 3,000 people at the site. The aerodrome is part of Lancashire Enterprise Zone.HistoryThe origins of the site, which was once an active aerodrome, date back to 1922 when it was proposed that a municipal airfield be constructed to serve the nearby towns of Blackburn and Preston. However, construction did not commence on the airfield until April 1939, then accelerated because of the Second World War, when the Air Ministry instructed the English Electric Company (EE) to proceed with the construction of flight shed number 1. The first of the Handley Page Hampdens built by EE made its maiden flight on 22 February 1940, and by 1942 770 Hampdens had been delivered from Samlesbury. In 1940 a second factory was built and the runway was extended so that construction of the Handley Page Halifax could begin. By 1945 all five main hangars and three runways had been completed. During the war the site was also home to some of Hawker Hurricanes and Airspeed Oxfords that were under the command of No. 9 Group RAF. By the end of the war, over 3,000 bombers had been built and flown from Samlesbury.