A unique airport terminal was the first of its kind - and you’ve probably been a lot closer to it than you realise. Millions of passengers at Gatwick Airport will have spent their time strolling through duty free and planning a quick Wetherspoons pit-stop without thinking about historical buildings nearby.

That’s because while Gatwick’s original terminal still stands today, it doesn’t look like what the modern traveller would recognise as an airport. Rather than a dull metal and glass construction in the middle of a field, this Art Deco terminal, which first saw flights in 1936, was the first circular airport terminal in the world, earning it the nickname The Beehive.

Eagle-eyed airport users will have noticed that modern-day Gatwick’s south terminal hosts Wetherspoons pub The Beehive, named as a nod to the historic landmark.

A 130-metre tunnel, originally used to link rail and air travel in one place, still stands.

However, it has been sectioned off and is used for storage.

The Beehive itself, which was Grade II listed in 1996, is closed to the general public and is used for office space.

The National Transport Trust says: “[The terminal] was completed in early 1936. Although the airport was officially reopened on 6 June 1936, flights to various destinations began in May. Jackaman's proposed service to Paris was included: three flights were operated each day, connecting with fast trains from London Victoria station.

“Combined rail and air tickets were offered for £4.5s, and there was a very short transfer time at the terminal; on some flights it was as little as 20 minutes. Gatwick Airport, as it had become, was requisitioned for military use during World War II. Afterwards, in 1952, it was agreed upon as the site of London's official second airport. A large new terminal was built between 1956 and 1958, the 1935 railway station was closed and a new station was built within the terminal complex, on the site of the old Racecourse Station.

“The Beehive was thus cut off from transport connections and the airport at large, although it was still within the boundary and was used for helicopter traffic for several more years.”

Acknowledging the significance and one-of-a-kind nature of the listed building, Historic England says: “The Beehive is important not only in the history of British aviation but also in terms of world airport design.

“It is a rare example of how airport owners and architects collaborated to put passenger comfort as a top consideration when designing a terminal building.”