Marshalls Cambridge Airport, RAF Cambridge (Teversham)

History of Cambridge Airport

The airport was opened in 1938 and is now owned by the Marshall Group.

There is a Wikipedia entry.

The airport control and office is a Listed Building.

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Marshall’s aerodrome, Newmarket Road
16 March 1929 — new private aerodrome

The new edict with regard to flying by undergraduates is well timed. Conington aerodrome is used by the Aeroplane Club and now comes news of a private aerodrome for Cambridge. Marshalls, automobile engineers of Jesus Lane are opening it shortly. It is on the main Newmarket Road less than two miles from Cambridge. There is a railway station 200 yards away and a 20-minute bus service connection. One hangar has already been erected and the whole site is about to be put down to grass. Marshalls are agents for the de Haviland Aircraft Company and already have their own demonstration machine ready at the aerodrome.
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Newmarket Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, entry 1929 03 16.

16 June 1930 — viewing the bumping races from the air

By the courtesy of A.G. Marshall of the Newmarket Road Aerodrome, who placed a plane at the disposal of the C.D.N., our representative was able to secure a bird’s eye view of the bumping races. “I could hear nothing of the general buzz which must be going on by the river, only the roar of the engine and the voice of my companion through the speaking tube. He tells me he is regulating his height so that we are well in gliding distance of a landing place all the time. I am very comforted – I should hate to drop on Jesus or a crew just making a bump”, he writes. 30 06 16 & 16a
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Newmarket Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, entry 1930 06 16.

28 January 1936 — replacement aerodrome proposed

The Air Ministry say it is very desirable that a new Cambridge municipal aerodrome site should be provided in the near future. Land at Milton had been recommended by Sir Alan Cobham but this would cost more than £33,000 and take at least two years to build. Messrs Marshall’s existing flying ground at Newmarket Road is quite inadequate for present requirements and they could have a new site at Teversham ready in a year, councillors heard. 36 01 28b & c 36 01 30a
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Newmarket Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, entry 1936 01 28.

30 December 1938 — model aircraft use the old aerodrome

The new Cambridge Model Aircraft Club, formed to get model makers working together, held an exhibition at the YMCA including flying scale models of actual machines. They have been very lucky as the old Cambridge aerodrome on Newmarket Road has been generously loaned to them by Mr Marshall and already Mr Powdrill has recorded the longest flight with the ‘Merlin’, a model of his own design while the “Fairy Facular” built by Mr Hayden flew for over a minute-and-a-half from a hand launch 38 12 30
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Newmarket Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, entry 1938 12 30.

28 April 1951 — royal visitors welcomed at the city boundary

A Royal welcome greeted the King and Queen when they arrived for their visit to King’s College chapel thanksgiving service for its restoration and the replacement of windows removed for safety during the war. The car flying the Royal standard drew up to the city boundary at Newmarket Road. Many mothers from nearby houses brought their children along with little flags and some enterprising onlookers climbed on to one of Marshall’s buildings to get a bird’s eye view. Carried away by their enthusiasm many toddlers continued to cheer and wave small Union Jacks long after the Royal party had passed.
Credit: Mike Petty, Cambridge Newmarket Road Scrapbook 1897 to 1990, entry 1951 04 28.

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Airport office building, formerly control, club and terminal building. 1938. By A G G Marshall for his own firm, Marshall of Cambridge (Engineering) Ltd. Render, probably on brick, with parapeted flat roof. Modern style. Single storey with 2-storey centre. Entrance front is an 8-window range of metal casements of 2, 3, and 4 lights. On first floor are two 4-light casements either side the central section of the front which breaks forward. Here a large tripartite window of metal casements over a flat entrance canopy supported on thin metal stanchions. Oak glazed double doors with similar side panels. Front facing the airfield is a 19-window range with in addition a square bay to right and a semicircular 2-storey bay to centre, windows mostly with metal casements. On the first floor only part breaks forward to the bay and here there are corner windows. Further casements to the first floor. Ground floor has three part-glazed doors. INTERIOR. Entrance hall has staircase which leads to gallery with open wooden balustrade. Room with bay window reported as being originally the club lounge and having panelling. A rare and little altered example of an interwar airport control, club and terminal building.

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Richarda Morrow-Tait flew from Marshall’s to Croydon Airport to begin her round-the-world flight in 1948. She was then living at St Regis, Chesterton Road.

BBC article, 2024:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9v8e1nkxwyo

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Jean Weston in ‘Memories of Abbey and East Barnwell’: The Airport Hotel was situated on the airfield side of Marshall’s, it is still there [c1990] and is used as the computer centre. On a sunny Sunday evening we would walk there to view the planes. No TV then! We would stop at the hotel, buy a drink and have it in the pub garden. There was a swing in the gardens and also tennis courts. A lot of local people would be there, the children would play in the garden and it was a nice opportunity for the hard-working housewives to have a chat and relax. Later in the 1960s the hotel became a casino and was open until the early hours, quite a contrast. It was closed when Cambridge became a gambling free city.

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Arthur Marshall and his wife, Rosemary, are buried in Horseheath churchyard.