The Beehive is the airports original terminal building. It is Grade II listed, was the worlds first circular terminal building and also recognised as the first integrated airport facility.
In the 1920s, land next to Gatwick Racecourse was developed as an airfield. In 1930 it received an aerodrome licence and became known as Gatwick Aerodrome. In 1933 the aerodrome was bought by Morris Jackman who had bold plans to expand it as a relief airport for London Croydon Airport and to provide a regular service to Paris.
Jackman had developed the idea of a circular terminal building to make efficient use of space and greater safety to aircraft movements. Telescopic piers would provide covered access for passengers between the building and aircraft, with a subway to bring passengers in from the outside.
The terminal design was typical of the 1930s Art Deco style architecture built mostly from concrete to give a ‘modern’ impression. The building consists of three concentric rings each rising above the next with the control tower and weather station rising up in the centre. Baggage handling and the main passenger area were situated on the first floor with offices and a restaurant on the ground floor and outermost ring. This design enabled the arriving and departing passengers to be kept separated. Six telescopic piers led from the main concourse to the aircraft and a subway ran from the terminal to the then new railway station, ensuring that passengers arriving from London by train could stay undercover from arriving at Victoria until the aircraft reached its destination! The design is frequently described as innovative and revolutionary.
The Beehive opened in May 1936 and remained in use as a terminal building until March 1956 when it closed to allow building to commence on the new London Gatwick Airport. Since then the building has primarily been used as offices, most notably as the headquarters of GB Airways from 1989 until its purchase by easyJet in 2008.
The Beehive is now part of a business park called City Place.
Now to find the cache!
At the given coordinates you will find a plaque from The Royal Aeronautical Society.
The actual cache is located at N51° A.BCD W000°EF.GHJ
On the plaque under the building name there are five lines of text, you will need to count the number of letters in each word to to work out each coordinate.
A=2nd line, 6th word
B= 2nd line, 2nd word
C= 1st line, 5th word
D= 3rd line, 2nd word - 4
E= 5th line, 1st word
F= 4th line, 5th word
G= 5th line, 3rd word
H= 4th line, 7th word - 6
J= 3rd line, 7th word - 1st line 6th word
Please note: The cache has been relocated, please now add .058 to the Northing and subtract .012 from the Westing.
You are looking for a small clip lock box which is located within a 3 miles radius of the The Beehive.
The cache originally contains a Logbook, pen, a Geocoin and a FTF Certificate!
Don't forget to wave to 'Those Magnificent Men!'