One of the Cardington airship sheds is up for sale – at the sky-high price of £4 million.

Shed Number Two – the green hangar once home to the R100 – has been put on the market by owner, the Building Research Establishment (BRE).

The Grade II-listed structure is being offered on a freehold basis only, by a London-based agent which is advertising it as a 'warehouse/distribution' opportunity.

However, Dennis Burchmore, of the Airship Heritage Trust, said he hoped its connection with aviation would continue.

He said: "It would be nice to see airships there again, of course, because in those terms it's the place to be. It's got the room and it's got the history.

"But whether airships will come again, who knows?

"There are big projects going forward on paper and on computer in America, but I don't know what's happening on the British side of things."

Shed Number Two was originally constructed at Pulham, Norfolk, in 1916, before it was taken apart and re-erected at Cardington nine years later.

It housed the R100 until the airship programme was abandoned following the crash of the R101 in 1930.

The giant structure – which stands 157 feet tall and is 812 feet long – was extensively renovated in 1993-94 under BRE, which used it as a 'large building test facility'. Multi-storey structures were put up inside, and fire, explosion and other tests conducted on them.

More recently, the shed was converted into a studio by Hollywood giant Warner Brothers, which leased it for the filming of Batman Begins in 2004.

The Gotham City set was built inside, brought to life by dozens of local people who landed parts as extras.

The Times & Citizen understands Warner Brothers has renewed its lease on the shed for a further 12 months, and could now be in residence until December next year.

Intriguingly, signs of activity at the shed in recent days, and glimpses of cables and a lighting gantry through the massive opened doors, have prompted speculation the hangar is being freshly rigged for another film shoot.

Top of the rumour list is the sequel to Batman Begins, the title of which was unveiled by Warner Brothers last month as The Dark Knight.

Reports suggest filming is due to begin early next year, with Christian Bale once more squeezing into the rubber suit as Batman, and heartthrob Heath Ledger set to grin and bear it as The Joker.