New Road

The aptly built 'New Road' was constructed in 1939, to speed the journey from newly built Bomber Command at Walters Ash to Lacey Green, in particular to an airfield to be constructed on Stocken Farm, Lacey Green, for the use of Arthur Harris. Many others from Lacey Green also found work at Bomber Command.

WW2 AIRFIELD, STOCKEN FARM reported by Doug Tilbury

On Saturday June 6^th 1944 at 6 pm, bulldozers arrived to make an airfield for Air Chief Marshall ‘Bomber’ Harris, of Bomber Command, Walters Ash.   45 acres of the flat grazing land of the farm were to be taken. The fields of the farm were bulldozed to make the airstrip. The first plane took off three mornings later.   Two clumps of horse-chestnut trees and a clump of lime trees had been felled and Nanny Coopers pond was filled in.   A blister hanger was erected behind the school to house the American Stinson plane of Air Chief Marshall Arthur Harris. Local lads, including Gordon May used to help push the plane into the hangar.

'Bomber' Harris ordered Andrew Oliver To inspect every Spitfire which came down in England. He used Harris's private plane, to fly to the crash sites to see if the accident was due to a fault in the wood/ glue manufacture.   

Previously the route taken from Lacey Green had travelled round Slad Lane, into Smalldean Lane and then turned south through the woods to Walters Ash.

The new route ran along the boundary between the fields of the Grymsdyke Estate and Lacey Green Farm. As there is no visible signs of the buildings of it is highly likely that they are beneath the new road. See Gone. Lacey Green Farm

It was rumoured in the village that a plane had landed on the, as yet unopened, new road. See 1938 PC Goldsmith, in which a hushed up incident is revealed.

There was only 1 property at the Walters Ash end on the east side when the road was built. That was Walters Ash Farm. Part of the farm was in Lacey Green parish and part in Walters Ash, but the farmhouse and buildings were in Lacey Green.

Bomber Command headquarters were built on the west side, the Main gates just set back a little. Also there was an old house between them and the Bradenham Road, which later became 'Shana' riding establishment. Bomber Command built many houses in Walters Ash, but the Headquarters, technically speaking were in Lacey Green parish.

Later a few houses and bungalows were built on the east at the Walters Ash end.

New Road
Map Source
Village
Road To	Walters Ash
Road To	Walters Ash