Description and History of Site:-
Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield was used as an Aircraft Reception Park (ARP) during the First World War for aircraft produced at the Blackburn Aeroplane Company's Olympia Works at Roundhay, Leeds (see WYK02324).
Aircraft were also manufactured here by the Blackburn Aeroplane Co during the First and Second World Wars with the Fairey Swordfish torpedo bomber being built here in large numbers, 1699 of the 2400 total number of all marks built.

An aerial view of the W & T Avery factory on Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield taken in 1949 from the north-west, previously the Blackburn Aeroplane and Co. Swordfish factory 1940-44. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/image/EAW023529
As early as 1911 fields to the west of the current airfield were used by a group of early flying enthusiasts, including Leeds born Robert Blackburn, founder of the Blackburn Aeroplane Company.
At the outbreak of World War One Sherburn-in-Elmet airfield was commandeered by the Royal Flying Corps, probably not used operationally, but as an Aircraft Reception Park (ARP) for aircraft manufactured at Blackburn's Olympia Works at Roundhay, Leeds, for onward distribution to operational squadrons.
In February 1918 Blackburn's received an order to produce 230 Sopwith Cuckoo's, a folding wing single seat torpedo launching aircraft with the first aircraft being built from April 1918 at Sherburn-in-Elmet and into 1919, 162 were actually built but arriving too late to be used before the armistice. Six were bought by the Imperial Japanese Navy to be used to help develop their aircraft carrier operations which they would use to such devastating effect in World War 2 at Pearl Harbour.
By 1918 the airfield covered 177 acres and on the western side of the airfield by the railway line, there were 8 hangars 21 storage sheds and associated camp buildings.
After the war and the departure of the military, Blackburn's retained some workshops in which they broke obsolete aircraft and carried out some experimental work. The buildings were purchased by Burnett and Co to use as a railway carriage works.The inter war years saw the airfield operate as a civilian facility with Robert Blackburn buying the airfield in June 1935 and enlarging it by purchasing a further 64 acres of land.
At the onset of the Second World War the airfield and its aircraft were impressed into military service. Blackburn's were busy repairing damaged aircraft on the west side of the airfield in the former Burnett and Co railway carriage works when they were awarded a contract to build the Fairey Swordfish torpedo launching Bi-plane. A new factory was built on the northern edge of the airfield and was operational by December 1940. The factory was managed by Norman Blackburn, Robert's brother, with his daughter Joan acting as one of four 'progress chasers', responsible for ensuring components and sub-assemblies outsourced to engineering companies in Leeds (see WYK 01106 Hudswell Clarke and WYK01432 Bristols) reached the factory in time, the sub-assemblies or components transferred to Sherburn from Leeds by road. For an example of a Leeds engineering company manufacturing components for the Swordfish http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIdentifier=2003115_67847842
Other sub-contractors used in Leeds were Thomas Green and Sons Ltd, Tate of Leeds and Appleyard's. So many Swordfish and their components, were manufactured within Leeds and at Sherburn-in-Elmet that the aircraft type was considered a Leeds aircraft and nicknamed 'Blackfish' because of their Blackburn built heritage.
The total Swordfish production at Sherburn-in-Elmet was 1699 aircraft with the last one delivered 18th August 1944.

At the end of hostilities the Swordfish aircraft factory was acquired by W & T Avery Ltd, the weighing scale manufacturer. In later years the factory was cleared away with the construction of Sherburn Enterprise Park, a supermarket distribution centre in its place (2020) at NGR SE 51861 33456.

Further Reading and References:-
https://sherburninelmethistory.co.uk/aviation/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Swordfish
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sopwith_Cuckoo
Chariots of Wrath, Sam Whitworth, Lulu. p138

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Key Words :- aircraft manufacturer

Viewing the Site :- Public footpath alongside road.

Address :- Moxon Way, Sherburn-in-Elmet, Leeds, North Yorkshire
Grid Ref :- SE 50755 32645
Co-ordinates :- Lat 53.787658 , Long -1.231112
Local Authority :- Selby District Council
Pre 1974 County :- Yorkshire - North Riding
Site Status :- Site demolished or no longer extant
Site Condition :- Site in alternative industrial use
Contributor :- Andrew Garford - 31 March 2020

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