Author Topic: RAF Washington Hall married quarters  (Read 2804 times)

Offline colin norman

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RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« on: Wednesday 10 June 15 18:14 BST (UK) »
Around 1957, my father was stationed at RAF Washington Hall near Chorley, Lancs.  My family were allocated married quarters in bungalow number Z3 at Woodlands, a collection of otherwise abandoned huts just across the road from a recreation ground. Two other families lived in Z1 And Z2.  We lived there for a year or so.  I was 6 or 7 at the time.  I'd really like to find out where the site of Woodlands is, so I can visit it.  I've managed to find and visit all seven of the other RAF camps I lived on in my childhood so this is the last one.  Does anyone have any information that could help me find the place, please?

Offline CereUK

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #1 on: Wednesday 10 June 15 19:06 BST (UK) »
It is the Lancashire Fire and Rescue Training Centre now at Chorley.  International Training Centre
Southport Rd, Chorley
01257 266611.  Hope this helps.
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Offline colin norman

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #2 on: Wednesday 10 June 15 19:33 BST (UK) »
Thanks for this.
I've already managed to locate the Washington Hall camp itself.  It's the Woodlands  AMQ location I'm looking for.  It was separate from the camp but I don't know how far or in what direction.  We believed at the time that it had been a WWII displaced persons camp as it was just a mass of abandoned huts and static water tanks.

Offline ScouseBoy

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #3 on: Wednesday 10 June 15 19:46 BST (UK) »
Look up RAF stations on Wikipedia.
Nursall   ~    Buckinghamshire
Avies ~   Norwich


Offline andrewalston

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #4 on: Friday 12 June 15 19:43 BST (UK) »
Woodlands hostel was on the south side of Southport Road (around SD571179). It was originally built for workers at the ROF at Euxton.
The site is now occupied by the Woodlands campus of Lancashire College (until recently Edge Hill University).
Across the road are the playing fields of Parklands High School, which used to be Chorley Grammar School.
Views of the site are readily accessible on Google Streetview.
The other main hostel for the ROF ("Highways") was further west, next to Euxton Balshaw Lane railway station. It was redeveloped as a housing estate in the 1960s. The pub there (The Talbot) replaced an earlier one of the same name, which was known as "Smoky Joe's".
Looking at ALSTON in south Ribble area, ALSTEAD and DONBAVAND/DUNBABIN etc. everywhere, HOWCROFT and MARSH in Bolton and Westhoughton, PICKERING in the Whitehaven area.

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Offline andrewalston

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #5 on: Friday 12 June 15 20:05 BST (UK) »
There's a 1:2500 map from 1960 available to view at www.old-maps.co.uk. It may jog the memory as to where your block was.
Looking at ALSTON in south Ribble area, ALSTEAD and DONBAVAND/DUNBABIN etc. everywhere, HOWCROFT and MARSH in Bolton and Westhoughton, PICKERING in the Whitehaven area.

Census information is Crown Copyright. See www.nationalarchives.gov.uk for details.

Offline colin norman

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Re: RAF Washington Hall married quarters
« Reply #6 on: Saturday 13 June 15 13:38 BST (UK) »
Thank you for this.  I couldn't wish for a more thorough reply.