GUY Ritchie has outlined some ideas for Compton Abbas airfield – including a potential museum-like ‘experience’.

The film director, who purchased the airfield in February, told Flyer magazine he was interested in the ‘aesthetic’ of aviation heritage.

He added how he was hoping to make the north Dorset airfield a “more complete experience”, but that ideas were at an early stage.

“We want to take aviation more seriously, particularly in terms of the heritage aspect, principally selfishly, because I am interested in the aesthetic of that,” he said.

And when asked about a potential museum, he added: “Funnily enough, we were just talking about that.

“It would be great if you could walk through the hangars and have an experience.

“We’re at the thin end of the wedge in terms of what can be explored in terms of the creative aspects.

“It’s too early for me to be able to articulate and explain about all the things, partly because I am rather naive, but the other reason is, just honestly, we have only been here six months.

“I’ll know more in a year but the plan is we will invest more into making this more of a complete experience.”

READ MORE: Guy Ritchie’s firm buys Compton Abbas airfield

After completing the purchase from the Hughes family in February, Mr Ritchie wrote to ‘staff, residents, aviators and the wider community’, saying his Ashcombe Estates firm would continue running the facility ‘in the spirit that has been curated by the Hughes family over their years of ownership’.

“We will continue running the airfield for both resident and guest aircraft,” he said.

“Resident aircraft can continue to rent hangar space here. We will keep the cafe and bar running so that it will remain a regional destination for families.”

The family owned the site, near Shaftesbury, for 34 years.

Mr Ritchie’s brewing company, Gritchie, is based at the neighbouring estate and he said ‘some of the storage and workshop activities which currently take place at Ashcombe Farm’ would move the airfield site.

There will also be ‘improvements to the buildings and infrastructure’ carried out in a ‘sympathetic manner’, with users consulted, he said.

The airfield is in North Dorset

Announcing the sale, Clive, Margaret, Emma and Laura from the Hughes family said they ‘would like to thank each and every one of you who has visited and been a part of life at the airfield’.

“Selling the airfield has been an incredibly difficult decision to make as it has been the focus of all our lives for so long, and we are certainly going to miss everyone who made our time there so enjoyable,” they said.

“However, we feel that now is the right time to hang up our hats, and we are looking forward to seeing some exciting developments unfold under the new owners.”

A Ritchie spokesperson said plans for the site could include refining the food and drink service and increasing the number of vintage and heritage aircraft shows.