Summer Hayes

Research by Joan West

Summer Hayes is a house on the west side of Lacey Green Main Road. It is one of the houses built in the 1900's between the two entrances to Church Lane.

Before 1823 it was part of the Common of Princes Risborough. Click Princes Risborough Common to see two maps.

The first map shows the full area of Princes Risborough Common.

The map below that shows the changes made in 1823 when the Enclosures of Princes Risborough took place. The area coloured pale orange denotes Stocken Farm

In 1823 the land on which Summer Hayes was built was allocated to Stocken Farm, then owned by Lord George Henry Cavendish and let to Ann Dell (click Thomas Dell snr & Ann Dell)

However a road was to be constructed cutting through this area which was to become Main Road, Lacey Green

.Research by Joan West

Summer Hayes was owned by Clive Adams (click RAF Local Residents) prior to, throughout, and for some time after WW2.

Imperial Airlines was formed in1924 at the request and support of the government by merging 3 airlines.  The brief was to establish flying routes worldwide to transport mail, facilitate settlement, contact and trade around the Empire, being faster than the slow shipping routes then used.  Based at Croyden Airport, south of London, local services were discontinued.   Alan Cobham researched routes to South Africa, Australia and India, for which he was knighted.    It merged with BOAC in 1939.    All airlines were nationalised during WW2 and run by the RAF.

In 1939 August, Clive Adams was asked to survey Poole Harbour as a possible wartime base for Imperial Airways. In 1942 the RAF took over Poole Harbour Airport, renaming it RAF Hamworthy

Research Note  By 1941 the established route to India and the Far East had become unusable because of the war, but bases in India were in urgent need of supplies in the fight against Japan.

In 1941 Clive Adams was flown out to Salala, Southern Saudi Arabia, in charge of a party to develop a new route.

The terrain was difficult, but in October a tented camp was set up in a coconut grove on the beach.   A kitchen and bathroom was built out of palm leaves and the first radio station was installed in a tent.

The completed route was opened up in 1942.   It was one of the most difficult routes in the world to organize on the ground.

Research Note.  Throughout WW2, the RAF, TATA,(Indian Airlines) and CNAC, (Chinese Airlines) worked this route.   They were involved in its development, carried the vital supplies and rescued refugees from Burma.   TATA serviced RAF planes and equipment.   After the fall of Burma CNAC based its headquarters in India for the remainder of the war. (This Information is taken from “Merchant Airmen”, by the Air Ministry.   Account of British Civil Aviation, 1939-44.)

Clive Adams worked in America for 2 years, letting ‘Summer Hayes’ to a Russian woman and her daughter Natasha, while he was away.

After the war he returned to BOAC, with which Imperial Airways had been merged.  (The government did not want competition between airlines on these worldwide routes).

By the 1950's Sam Morgan and his wife Louise, were living at Summer Hayes. Sam Morgan was a great character, click 1991 Sam Morgan, deputy head, H.Wy. Grammar for his story.

Report by Laurence Rostron. "2016 Ordinance Survey Map Properties in Church Lane. Summer Hayes occupied by Mr M & Mrs A Tingey. The entrance to the property has now been moved into Church Lane from the Main Road". click Laurence & Linda Rostron for more about Laurence