Aviation has a long history in the UK. This is the country where experiments with heavier than air machines were taking place in the early nineteenth century. It is also where the first ever dedicated air force was created, exactly one hundred years ago. April 1918 saw the foundation of the RAF, or the Royal Air Force, combining flight operations that had been taking place by Army and Navy units into one single specialized organization.
It is no surprise, therefore, that air shows are very popular. Some of the best take place at the Shuttleworth Collection, based at Old Warden, near Biggleswade in Bedfordshire, a couple of hours drive outside London. This is one of the most prestigious collections in the world, and has the added advantage that you can, not only come here for the day, but you can camp or caravan on site too!
This is definitely one of the best locations in the UK to enjoy an airshow. There are no spectator stands, just wide grassy areas where you can sit back and relax while watching the aircraft dipping and diving across the sky against a backdrop of fields and woods all around. Food and drink can be purchased from stalls within just a few minutes walk, or you can bring your own picnic. For those who can tear themselves away from the flying displays, there are massive hangers to explore containing incredibly rare aircraft and vehicles. The best advice is to book several nights at the campsite, enjoy an airshow, then take another day to explore the collection before moving on.
There are several very good air shows planned for this summer during which many visiting planes will join those of the Shuttleworth Collection in the skies. Dates this year are:
Sunday, August 5 - The Shuttleworth Family Airshow. A wide variety of historic aircraft will be flown.
Saturday, August 18 - The Flying Proms. This is an unusual entertainment show involving vintage aircraft creating a display to the music of a national symphony orchestra. It goes on into the evening ending with a spectacular firework finale, often involving Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture or Handel’s Royal Fireworks music.
Sunday, September 2 - Shuttleworth Heritage Day. This year the theme is ‘extraordinary women’, celebrating the contribution of women to aviation, engineering, and to Shuttleworth itself as a result of the role played by Dorothy Shuttleworth in preserving her son’s passion for collecting vintage aircraft and vehicles.
Sunday, October 7 - Race Day. A celebration of vintage aviation and veteran vehicles.
Event tickets give you access to all the attractions on site, including the Shuttleworth Collection and the adjacent Swiss Garden.
“The gift shop is part of our Visitor Center, and stocks a range of gorgeous gifts for all tastes and budgets.” [Photo Credit: D. Harbar Photography]
The Shuttleworth Collection is the result of one man’s passion. Born in 1909, Richard Shuttleworth was fascinated by veteran cars and aircraft. He was a racing driver as well as a pilot. He often took part in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, and won the Brighton Speed trials twice including managing to beat Sir Malcolm Campbell’s course record. When war broke out in 1939, he joined the RAF and was killed in an air crash one year later. His mother preserved the collection and eventually formed a charitable trust, which led to the collection being opened to the public. While Richard’s own vehicles form the nucleus of the collection, many other vehicles and aircraft have been added over the years making it one of the best in the world.
This is the home of the oldest airworthy aircraft – the Bleriot X1 as well as four other Edwardian aeroplanes. Other unusual items include a replica of an experimental 1848 flying machine, a kite used for trials of radar deception during WW2, an Autogyro built for Wing Command Ken Wallis who also appeared in the flying sequences of You Only Live Twice and a Box Kite used in the filming of Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines. Then there is the racing aircraft DH88 Comet which won the MacRobertson air race from England to Australia in 1934. A Submarine Spitfire is currently under restoration. Wherever you go within the hangers, there are countless aviation surprises to be seen.
The range vintage vehicles that can be seen is equally wide, ranging from a 1898 Panhard et Levassor, 1899 Mors Petit Duc and 1901 Locomobile Steam Car to a 1939 Hillman Minx RAF Staff Car. Numerous vintage motorcycles can be seen ranging in age from 1900 to 1960, as well as a collection of tractors. The Collection’s Leyland SG7 Bus can often be seen in action, along with two other vintage buses, taking visitors to around the site.
But that’s not all! Also on site are numerous old bicycles such as boneshakers, quadricycles and highwheelers (better known as Penny Farthings).
The majority of the vehicles and flying machines on site still work and are kept carefully maintained. Just as Richard Shuttleworth did on many occasions during his life, the Shuttleworth Collection continues to take part in the London to Brighton Vintage Car Run.
During Airshows, visitors often have the opportunity to explore the Shuttleworth House. This is not normally open to the public as it forms part of the agricultural college run by the Trust on the site. The house is Victorian, built in 1875 and is filled with furniture and paintings of the period together with some stunning stained glass windows. It was the home of the Shuttleworth family, who purchased the estate from Lord Ongley. Richard Shuttleworth’s family immediately destroyed Lord Ongley’s mansion and replaced it with this Jacobean style building.
One of the more unusual aspects of this visiting this estate is the fact that you also have access to an amazing garden, as far removed in style from aircraft and cars as you could possibly image. This is The Swiss Garden, which was created between 1824 and 1832, by the Baron of Old Warden, Lord Ongley who used to throw extravagant parties here. The result is a really pretty, tranquil garden perfect for strolling and exploring. New vistas can be enjoyed at every turn of the path. One of Lord Ongley’s first visitors even described it as a ‘fairyland’.
There are acres of flowerbeds and lawns, shrubberies and trees. Hidden among them are some amazing follies, 13 in total. These include a Swiss Cottage, a Dolphin Jardinière, an Eagle redoubt, an Indian kiosk, cascade bridge, moat bridge, a Subterranean Passage, Chapel, Grotto, and Fernery.
Other attractions within easy driving distance include Woburn Abbey and Park. This magnificent country house is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford and has been owned by the same family for over 500 years. It is believed that during the 1840’s, the Duchess of Bedford (wife of the seventh Duke) popularized the idea of afternoon tea. Visitors can enjoy afternoon tea in the café, explore 24 state rooms and see superb collections of art, silver and furniture. The 28 acre gardens are also extremely historic, having been planned and developed by Humphry Repton, the famous landscape gardener, two hundred years ago.
Elsewhere in the grounds is Woburn Safari Park. This is one of the largest safari parks in the UK, covering over 360 acres. The animals roam freely. Visitors drive through the various areas inhabited by the animals, which include areas devoted to lions, tigers, black bears, camels, North American Bison, Timber Wolves, white rhino, elephants, giraffes and penguins.
“Incredibly rare aircraft and vehicles are displayed in Shuttleworth's massive hangers, and when the show arrives you can see them in action.” [Photo Credit: D. Harbar Photography]
The county town Bedford is worth a visit, especially if you are a fan of John Bunyan’s classic novel, Pilgrims Progress. John Bunyan was a seventeenth century Puritan preacher, who spent three years fighting in the Parliamentary army during the English Civil War. Following the restoration of King Charles II, he was arrested and spent twelve years in Bedford jail because he refused to stop preaching. It was during this period that he began work on his most famous book, The Pilgrim’s Progress. Visitors can find out more about his life and times at the John Bunyan Museum in the town. Also worth seeing is the Bunyan Meeting, an independent church built on the site of the church where he served as a minister from 1671 to 1688. It has some fantastic scenes from the Pilgrim’s Progress decorating its entrance doors and stained glass windows.
Slightly further afield, but within easy driving distance is the city of Cambridge. This is home to one of the oldest Universities in the UK containing 31 individual colleges. Driving and parking within the city center is extremely difficult, so it is best to use one of the Park & Ride services to be found on the outskirts of the city. You can park here all day, using a special bus to take you into the city.
All the major colleges and places of interest are located within easy walking distance. Key places to see are Kings College Chapel, a beautiful Gothic building full of stunning lacey architecture and the River Cam. You can take punt tours on the river, while a stroll along the Backs reveals some fantastic back views of the colleges. The Fitzwilliam Museum has over half a million artworks and antiquities including Rubens, Brueghel, Constable and Picasso while the Polar Museum has relics of Captain Scott’s exhibition and other Polar explorers and the Eagle Pub has a ceiling filled with the signatures of WW2 pilots.
There are many guided tours which you can book from the Tourist Information Centre which are a great way of quickly finding your way round the city, as well as providing a good way to actually see inside some of the colleges and Kings College Chapel. Access to the colleges is limited as these are educational establishments. Notices outside the various colleges indicate when tours are available. Alternatively take one of the more general guided tours of the city obtainable at the TIC.
Shuttleworth Camping is a very popular site, and is a perfect way to enjoy an airshow as well as exploring the area. A restaurant is open during the day. It is surrounded by pretty countryside and well signposted from main roads, including the M1. Early booking is recommended if you are planning to come to an airshow. On show days, all campers have to have an event ticket as well. On other days, campers can obtain discounted rates for admission to The Shuttleworth Collection and The Swiss Garden.
Camping, Caravanning, Entertainment, Features, History, International