CAMPAIGNERS have unveiled a multi-million-pound plan to save a crumbling Second World War building that is in danger of being lost forever.
The Landmark Trust aims to preserve part of Hampshire's heritage by converting the control tower at the former RAF Ibsley into luxury holiday accommodation.
Opened in 1941, Ibsley was one of 12 RAF and USAAF airfields in the New Forest.
The famous fighter station was used during the filming of The First of the Few, a 1942 movie that told how R J Mitchell designed the Spitfire. Mitchell was played by Leslie Howard and David Niven portrayed test pilot Geoffrey Crisp.
Officially known as the airfield's watch office, the derelict control tower is one of the few surviving examples of its type.
But the concrete structure has fallen victim to decades of vandalism and neglect. Its large Crittall windows have fallen in, and the ceilings are said to be collapsing.
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The Landmark Trust hopes to restore the building to its 1940s glory whilst adapting it for use by up to eight holiday guests.
A spokesperson said: "The restoration will combine environmental sustainability and accessibility, honour wartime aesthetics yet introduce modern comforts.
"The former control room will become a kitchen, dining and living area with sweeping views, the former offices, restrooms and stores will become bedrooms and bathrooms.
"The balcony and roof terrace will be restored, and rare bats will be nurtured in dedicated spaces.
"A programme of public open days will welcome everyone, and all visitors will be able to experience the thought-provoking site and surrounding nature reserve the former airfield has become."
The charity has already raised more than half the £3.1m it expects the project to cost, but needs to find a further £1.3m.
Dr Anna Keay, director of the Trust, said: "RAF Ibsley Watch Office is a wartime monument to human courage.
"It played a key role in the fight against Hitler and is set apart by Leslie Howard’s acclaimed The First of the Few. Yet today the watch office is in great peril, and rescue by the Landmark Trust is its last hope.
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"With help, we can save this fragment of history, remember the brave people who once worked here, and ensure it stands proud for years to come."
After the site closed in the early 1950s the runways were replaced by gravel pits that have since become Blashford Lakes.
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