Gravesend Walk

A more recent addition to the collection of Ernesettle streets built in the post-war redevelopment of Plymouth and named after prominent World War II RAF airfields is Gravesend Walk.

Gravesend Airport, as it was initially known, was just south of the River Thames, and was originally used as an international airport, after the perennially fog-bound Croydon was deemed unsuitable. However in 1937 most of the civil traffic was transferred to Luton and the Royal Air Force moved in, using the small airfield as a training school.

At the outbreak of war, the RAF requisitioned Gravesend but kept it as an all grass aerodrome and so throughout the Battle of Britain it looked more like a well maintained field of pasture. This may have been the reason why it received no serious German raids.

The RAF moved out in 1956 allowing Gravesend Council to turn it into a housing estate.

EH 25 November 2006