Description and History of Site:-
A small cluster of buildings to the West of Novia Plantation (now an airport car park 2018), on Cemetery Road just South of Carlton village, now used as a trading estate but once a vital maintenance and test facility for the war effort during the Second World War.
The historical building on site is now surrounded by later buildings. The historical gate posts and earth blast wall are evident. The factory had no links to the nearby wartime Avro factory.
Operated by the Bristol Engine Company, known by the local population as 'The Bristol' or just 'Bristols' during the Second World War, as a test and maintenance facility for their aero-engines which were manufactured by Bristol sub-contractors in the Leeds and Bradford area, such as the factory at Apperley Bridge formally occupied by Hammonds Sauce.
Engines such as the Pegasus, fitted to the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber built at nearby Sherburn-in-Elmet, and the Hercules fitted to the Handley Page Halifax MkIII and Bristol Beaufighter twin engine fighter bomber, were run up to speed on test-beds for a time to test their build quality and then tuned for maximum performance. Once passed for quality they would be crated and forwarded to the aircraft manufacturers and front line RAF squadrons.
The terrific noise of these unsilenced aero-engines being run up 24 hours per day seven days per week must have been very obtrusive to the local people, indeed because of wartime security resulting in there being no weather forecasts broadcast, the noise was used by the local populace to gauge wind direction and the probable type of weather to expect.

Further Reading and References:-
http://www.aireboroughhistoricalsociety.co.uk/yeadon/bristol-airecraft-engine-1945.aspx
Cothliff, K B. Yeadon above the rest - an illustrated history of Leeds Bradford Airport. Croft Publications, 2011, p35.
Myers, G. Mother worked at Avro: the story of Avro (Yeadon) and its contribution to Britain's war effort. Compaid Graphics 1995, pp30-31.

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Key Words :- ww2 aero engines testing maintenance

Address :- Cemetery Road, Carlton, Yeadon, West Yorkshire, LS19 7BD
Grid Ref :- SE 21707 42486
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.878122 , Long -1.671304
Local Authority :- Leeds Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - West Riding
Site Status :- Site extant - Protected status unknown
Site Condition :- Site refurbished to industrial / commercial use
Site Dates :- 1939-45 -
Record Date :- 15 November 2018

Copyright :- cc-by-nc-sa 4.0 © Andrew Garford