An early publicity shot I'd not seen before

[Tony Griffiths]

The first image is a B & W photograph from the book 'Making Cars at Longbridge' by Gillian Bardsley and Colin Cork - it was posted on Facebook. The second is from the same era, a restored cover from the 1923 Motor Show Light Car magazine cover. Click both for higher-resolution copies - and click again for even higher.

[Mike Costigan]

The photo was taken at the foot of the Test Hill within the Longbridge grounds, and dates from the spring of 1923. (the lady's car carries a tax disc issued between January and December 1923).

[Tony Griffiths]

Was the test hill a natural feature, or man-made? I wonder, where on the site was it?

[Mike Costigan]

The Test Hill was between the West Works and the Flying Ground; I thought it was probably man-made, but this would suggest the Flying Ground was on higher land so the Test Hill may have been natural.

   

I may be wrong, but I seem to recall we drove up the Test Hill on the run out during the 1972 Golden Jubilee Rally.

[Bob Kneale]

<I may be wrong, but I seem to recall we drove up the Test Hill on the run out during the 1972 Golden Jubilee Rally. >

I too recall driving up a steep test hill on that occasion, but cannot remember where it was in relation to the works.
Hopefully someone possibly with better local knowledge can help.........
Cheers
Bob

[Steve kay]

  longbridge.jpg (Size: 122.35 KB / Downloads: 696)

Does this image from Britain from Above show the hill, as indicated by the arrow from Mike?

[Tony Griffiths]

I've no idea if this is correct as I don't know the area and one source says that "After the war (WW2) the airfield was built over with what became the main Austin/ Austin Rover/ Rover Cars factory until closure a few years back." https://www.key.aero/forum/historic-avia...ne-factory
On the MG forum are some interesting discussions about the site, including the fact that to get the heavier WW2 bombers up onto the flying field, a left had to be installed as the land level was so different to the assembly sheds. https://www.mg-rover.org/threads/longbri...ff.263375/
Perhaps these images are correct? Click for clearer pictures - they are just cuts from Google Maps. Could the second picture be the entrance? The third view is a 3D of the second picture

[Mike Costigan]

No, Tony, Lowhill Lane is on the far side of the Flying Ground site. These two images from Google show the area in 1945 and 1999 showing how the factory was developed over the Flying Ground; that would put the Test Hill somewhere in the middle of the factory complex.


  1945 Longbridge.JPG (Size: 95.88 KB / Downloads: 637)


  1999 Longbridge.JPG (Size: 109.46 KB / Downloads: 638)

[Tony Griffiths]

Thanks, Mike. Well done for finding the 1945 map that shows the flying ground and puts the whole thing into context. Something I failed to do - but you always were an excellent navigator!

[Lowespeed]

Hi Tony,
East works was between Groveley Lane and the Cofton Village Hall where the aero engine factory was located. On the corner of Groveley Lane and Lowhill Lane was the "Flight Shed" which was the largest single span roof at the time it was built. Behind it was the lift to get the Spitfires up to the flying ground at the top. The larger aircraft, Stirling and Lancaster were too big to take off from the flying ground, so were transported by road to Elmdon(??) for assembly. The imprint of the lift in the concrete wall was there until they built the houses on the site of the flying shed, but can't be seen from the road now (still there?)
The path you show on your picture of Cofton Park led to an air raid shelter that was built under the park, the only trace being the remains of a wall which held the fuse boxes for the shelter.
My father worked at Austins and tells me that after a air raid practice it was pointed out that large numbers of workers wearing white overalls running across an open space were highly visible from the air, and they had a rethink!