WATCH OUR VIDEO ABOVE "13 MINUTES LONG"

In 1891, the rolling fields south of London thundered with the sound of galloping hooves. Gatwick Racecourse was the pride of Sussex, its grandstand brimming with cheering crowds and fine ladies in feathered hats. On winter days, steam trains brought in eager spectators from the capital, the air thick with the smell of turf, tobacco, and excitement.

Then came the Great War. The course fell silent, its infield turned over to the military. After peace returned, the roar of the horses never quite regained its former glory. By the 1930s, change was in the air — quite literally. Visionaries saw the vast, flat land not just as a track for horses, but as a launch pad for the future.

In 1936, the sound of pounding hooves gave way to the whine of engines as Gatwick Aerodrome opened, complete with its futuristic circular terminal, “The Beehive.” The railway still ran to the site, but now passengers carried suitcases instead of betting slips.

Today, millions of travellers pass through Gatwick Airport each year, unaware that the runways they cross once echoed to the rhythm of racing champions. The cheers of the crowds may be gone, but the spirit of speed lives on — only now, it soars.