Former RAF Seaplane hangar

Closely associated with the Schneider Trophy air races with the competing seaplanes taking off and landing in front of it.

The great hangers of the Air Force Seaplane and Flying Boat base which grew beside the castle are now one of Britain's leading activity centres.

Calshot Naval Air Station opened in 1913, the year when First Lord of the Admiralty, Winston Churchill took his first seaplane flight from Calshot.

During the First World War, Calshot provided Channel defence and a training base for pilots.

In the 1929 and 1931, Calshot was the venue of the famous Schneider Cup Trophy race and one of the servicemen assigned to help with event was Aircraftsman Shaw, better known today as Lawrence of Arabia.

Calshot played an important role in the Second World War and became home to the Sunderland Flying Boat. After a long, chequered military history, RAF Calshot closed in 1961.