Addington Air Ministry Works Repair Depot, an important Battle of Britain location
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- čas přidán 22. 05. 2024
- On the very busy A2022 at Kent Gate Way there is a Thames Water pumping station and behind it, the home of Croydon Rugby Football Club. In World War II this area was home to a Works Repair Depot, and a team of 120 personnel, responsible for carrying out essential repairs to maintain our effectiveness in the aerial battles over Britain, in particular the Battle of Britain in the summer of 1940.
This is the story and is one of those little heard about functions that actually played a very key part in the defence of London and indeed, Britain.
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Links referred to in this video:
Croydon RFC History: www.croydonrfc.com/history
Croydon RFC Newsletter: www.croydonrfc.com/news
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My contact details/links: bio.site/philswallow
Email & Website:
Email: phil@philswallow.com
Website: www.philswallow.com
Social Media:
Facebook: / phil.swallow.63
Instagram: / philswallow_uk
Threads: www.threads.net/@philswallow_uk
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I used to walk down the woods from new addington to watch the pumps working when I was a kid they always fascinated me. I then crossed the road (kent gateway) and messed about in the stream in the woods.
There are some brilliant photos online, Peter. Look up Thames Water Archives 👍🏻
I remember the little ceremony held when West Wickam pumping station closed down. My dad worked at the Metropolitan Water Board and took us kids along for that plus lots of trips to Kempton Park, Hampton and Ashford pumping stations, Coppermills, Wraysbury and Datchet reservoirs which were under construction, and also to Kew where he presented the museum with a steam engine that the MWB had retired. At West Wickam we watched as the engine stopped, apparently for the last time. But then on the way home he told us he'd said to the guys who worked there they could quickly re-start and stop it after all the officials had left, I guess to give them a quiet moment of reflection. Sadly my dad lost his job when the MWB was privateised and became Thames Water.
Wow, what a story and what great memories! I have a talk on the history of Croydon Water Works but haven’t committed it to film yet. Thank you for this account!
Wow, what a GREAT video... I found it simply because I filtered the search results by "date" rather than the default "recommended". Wish I'd discovered that YEARS ago.
Thanks!
Great video again cheers Phil
Excellent video;the forgotten warriors of The Battle of Britain.
Thanks Derek!
Fantastic work Phil, the history is very interesting. I am a committee member of Croydon RFC and would be happy to give you a closer look at the site if you wanted 😊
Yes please! That would be great, thank you. All of my contact details are at: bio.site/philswallow, looking forward to it 👍🏻
As a old member off croydon rugby club. I found this very interesting.
Glad to hear it, Phill!
Again very interesting and informative
Regards.
Thanks Steve 👍🏻
Well done on investigating I never knew that was there😊
Thanks Nigel, it was quite a discovery!
Just watched your video, Phil are used to grit that road for many years. Just wondered if you knew the cottage beside the car park. What’s the place where Amber Lynn and King Henry the eighth used to go? Because it was halfway between London and Hever Castle if you look at it the cottage the door is round the back I was told that a lot of people when I worked at Croydon Council wondered if you could find out more
The cottage is the location of the actual “Kent Gate” on old maps. I think it used to be a toll gate where you had to pay to go through it. The Boleyn family had a connection with Wickham Court off Layhams Road. It shut as a school last year I think, not sure what it is now. I’ll look into the cottage a bit more. I know the City Commons Rangers use a building next to it
That's a nice bit of investigative work...and another pumping station 😉 Q. Which river (if there is one) that causes Sparrows Den to flood from time to time?
Thanks mate, if I can find an angle to work in a water function, I will! 😂 - I think that flooding has been due to full groundwater in the past - but read somewhere once that an underground culvert was blocked and that caused the flood. Having a pumping station there and add Featherbed Lane will no doubt be because it is the perfect source for wells/adits
@@philswallow Might have been a blockage, can't find culvert noted. "There is a reason that Spring Wood at West Wickham is so called. Playing fields at Sparrows Den, ... , were deliberately flooded earlier this week, creating a storage pond to protect nearby homes..." (1 March 2014). Modern mapping shows a watercourse perp to A2022 in line with East end of Shirley Heath. The North end TQ37613,64572 showns a 'Spring' that 'spreads' into the current field on old maps. LIDAR shows area incl Sparrows Den being lower...
@@philswallow OS REF:
TQ3764NE - A, Surveyed / Revised: 1954, Published: 1955
TQ3764SW - A, Surveyed / Revised: 1954, Published: 1955
Thanks, I’ll take a proper look tomorrow. I took a non-filmed walk from Addington to Spring Park last autumn and there is a small wooden bridge over the spring that then flows down towards the field by the A2022 and also a pond just by the woods.
@@philswallow 👍Could that be the pond where "Threehalfpenny Wood" got its name? I read there are three ponds (Inside Croydon) "A gentle amble across two hemispheres, and a giant mystery" 13 Apr 2019. Interesting comments thread.