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History of the Trust

THE HISTORIC CROYDON AIRPORT TRUST

We are the independent charity that champions the history and heritage of London Croydon Airport. Our mission is to help everyone explore how the people, events and innovations at the world’s first modern airport shaped air travel 

The Historic Croydon Airport Trust was founded in 1978 as the Croydon Airport Society. It set out to conserve the history and heritage of London Croydon Airport, Britain’s first major international airport, for the benefit of the community. In 1983, the Croydon Airport Society became a registered charity to better support its mission of conserving one of Britain’s most significant historic places.

In 2016, the Charity Commission approved conversion of the Croydon Airport Society to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under the name of the Historic Croydon Airport Trust. The Historic Croydon Airport Trust is Charity Commission registered under number 1166732.

Croydon Airport Society 1978-2016

The Croydon Airport Society was founded in 1978. The principal founders were Sir Peter Masefield and author Doug Cluett. Sir Peter Masefield had a long and successful career in the transport industry serving as Chairman of London Transport and the British Airports Authority before becoming President of the Society. Doug Cluett was the archivist for Sutton Libraries and wrote many successful books on Croydon Airport which are still in print.

The founding principle of the Society was the development of a National Air Transport Museum and conservation of the orginal buildings relating to the airport’s history. The aim of the Society and the museum was to educate on the significant role that London Croydon Airport played in shaping air travel in Britain, Europe and across the globe. Vice- Presidents of the Croydon Airport Society have included:-

Wing Commander C. F. “Bunny” Currant DSO DFC

Wing Commander R. H. McIntosh AFC DFC

Wing Commander R. R. Stanford-Tuck DSO DFC

Group Captain James Jeffs CVO OBE FRGS FRAeS

Captain O. P. Jones CVO OBE

Lettice Curtis

Molly Jones (nee Johnson)

The former terminal building and gate lodge were granted Grade II listed status in1978. Members of the Society staged regular popular walking tours around the old airport. In the early 1990’s the former terminal building was redeveloped as a business centre and renamed Airport House. Included in the development was a micro museum located in the former Air Traffic Control Tower. Designed by Haley Sharpe and winner of a London Tourism Award, the micro museum was named the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre and opened in 2000.

 

Around 2000, the former Grade II listed Gate Lodge was part leased to the Society to house its extensive archive relating to the history of Croydon Airport, although the archive is currently in an alternative home . Over the past 15 years the archive has grown to over 100,000 documents and 10,000 images, containing audio and video recordings and artefacts.

The Society has assisted many researchers from various media organisations such as BBC Television, BBC Radio and National Geographic.

The Croydon Airport Society was a major stakeholder in developing the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre in what is now the Grade II* listed Airport House, Croydon.

Historic Croydon Airport Trust 2016 to date

In 2016, the Charity Commission approved conversion of the Croydon Airport Society to a Charitable Incorporated Organisation under the name of the Historic Croydon Airport Trust. The Historic Croydon Airport Trust is Charity Commission registered under number 1166732.

We are an independent charity, funded by members’ subscriptions and the generous  donations of the public, run by volunteers to preserve the heritage and history of London Croydon Airport. We operate the Croydon Airport Visitor Centre museum for the benefit of the community and also manage a 100,000 document archive relating to aspects of the airport’s history. 

In 2017, the Historic Croydon Airport Trust assisted Historic England with documentary evidence to approve the listing upgrade of Airport House, the former terminal and control tower building, to Grade II*. 

The charity is administered by a small team of volunteer Trustees. Further information about the charity can be found on the Charity Commission’s website:-

https://apps.charitycommission.gov.uk/Showcharity/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithoutPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=1166732&SubsidiaryNumber=0

The Trust collaborates with media outlets and journalists in providing expertise on multiple aspects in the development of commercial air travel, airports and associated systems. Collaborations include work with BBC TV and Radio, National Geographic, Channel 5 and NATS.