Polegate Naval Airship Station, 1914 - 1919.

I have only recently become aware of this impressive facility.  It was the largest airship station in the country for a time. Covering about 140 acres of Willingdon.  It had its own gas plant, machine workshops, arsenal and a huge hangar, probably Eastbournes largest structure at the time. A friend has since showed me where they tethered an airship in a hollow of the South Downs to give it protection from the westerly winds. Four large concrete pads are about 100 yards apart and still have their huge iron hoops attached. In the centre is another pad which seems to have held a large wooden pole or maybe a ladder.

I`ve popped an original airship of the time, over Donkey Hollow to show how it would have looked.