Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden Airfield

Updated: October 2026 – Among fields and woods in Bedfordshire, about an hour’s drive north of London, lies a small grass airfield where time runs differently. Here a monoplane from 1909 takes off, rotary engines of World War biplanes rattle, and a Spitfire turns so low that you can read the registration without a telephoto. The Shuttleworth Collection at Old Warden is not a hall full of retired exhibits but a collection that flies.

For spotters, Old Warden is a destination with its own rules: no scheduled traffic, no runway direction in use by westerly wind statistics, but Flying Days on which wind and weather decide whether a hundred-year-old aircraft gets off the ground. This guide shows you what to expect, how to plan your visit and your Flying Day, and how to photograph propeller aircraft so that they actually look like they’re flying in the picture.

A collection that flies

The story of Old Warden begins with a collector who flew himself. Richard Shuttleworth, racing driver and pilot, began collecting historic vehicles and soon aircraft in 1928. He was killed in 1940 on a night training flight in a Fairey Battle. In 1944 his mother turned the estate into a trust in his memory, from which today’s Shuttleworth Trust emerged.

To this day the collection follows an idea that sets it apart from most museums: the aircraft are meant to be shown in their element. A workshop of its own, with engineers and many volunteers, keeps the aircraft airworthy, including types from the pioneer era that can’t be seen in the air anywhere else. How such restorations are supported by volunteers is described in the article Volunteering in aviation museums and restoration projects.

The airfield itself is small and unspectacular – and that’s exactly its appeal. Old Warden carries the ICAO code EGTH and has a grass runway oriented 03/21 and about 500 meters long. Visiting aircraft need prior permission to land (PPR). There is no asphalt, no taxiways and no parking aprons in big-airport format. Instead the aircraft roll across grass, lift off after a short run and fly low over the field.

The aircraft: from the pioneer era to the 1950s

The collection ranges from replicas of early gliders through originals from before World War I to postwar trainers. Not every aircraft can be seen every day – some are in the workshop, others fly only under certain conditions. The overview shows what you can expect.

Era	Typical aircraft	Interesting for spotters because …
Pioneer era to 1914	Blériot XI (1909), Deperdussin, Blackburn Monoplane (1912), replicas such as the Bristol Boxkite and Avro Triplane	the oldest aircraft you can still see flying anywhere
World War I	Sopwith Pup, S.E.5a, Bristol F.2B Fighter, Avro 504K, replicas of the Sopwith Camel and Triplane	biplanes with rotary engines, bracing wires and fabric covering
Interwar period	DH.60 Moth, Comper Swift, Hawker Tomtit, Hawker Hind, Percival Mew Gull, DH.88 Comet	racing, sport and military aircraft from the “golden age” of aviation
World War II	Spitfire Vc, Sea Hurricane, Gloster Gladiator, Westland Lysander, Polikarpov Po-2	fighters and liaison aircraft, often with their own well-documented history
Trainers and postwar period	Tiger Moth, Miles Magister, Chipmunk 22, Percival Provost, Avro Anson 19	training and liaison aircraft that fly more often and are ideal for practicing

The stars for fans of the early days are two aircraft. The Blériot XI with the registration G-AANG dates from 1909 and is regarded as the world’s oldest airworthy aircraft. It is flown only for short hops across the field, but that alone is an experience. The Blackburn Monoplane G-AANI from 1912 is regarded as the oldest airworthy aircraft of British origin and flies only in calm weather.

From World War II, two fighters draw the most lenses. The Supermarine Spitfire Vc, registered civilly as G-AWII, wears the colors of the Czechoslovak No. 310 Squadron, with which it served at Duxford in 1942. The Sea Hurricane Z7015 – a Canadian-built Hawker Hurricane that was later converted to the naval version and served with Fleet Air Arm squadrons – flies again after a long restoration. Add the Gloster Gladiator I L8032, one of the very few airworthy aircraft of this type, painted as K7985.

Among the trainers you meet old acquaintances like the de Havilland Tiger Moth or the DHC-1 Chipmunk. In addition, privately operated vintage aircraft are based at Old Warden too, such as a DH.89 Dragon Rapide in British European Airways colors. If you’re unsure which biplane type is flying past, you’ll find identification features in the article Recognizing vintage aircraft in the sky.

The problem child: Comet “Grosvenor House”

One aircraft you won’t see flying for the time being: the red DH.88 Comet G-ACSS, which won the 1934 air race from England to Australia. It was damaged. According to the Trust’s project report from September 2026, the one-piece wing has been removed and is in the main workshop, and further checks are under way. The insurance in principle covers the necessary repair, and a donation appeal is meant to fund additional work on engines and propellers. The Trust’s goal is for the Comet to fly again for the 100th anniversary of the race. Whether and where it can be seen during your visit, you’re best off asking on site.

Flying Days: the 2027 air show calendar

The Flying Days are the reason spotters travel to Bedfordshire from all over Europe. For 2027 the Trust has announced seven shows:

Date	Show	Focus according to the Trust
Sun, May 9, 2027	Season Premiere	Season opener
Sat, May 29, 2027	Military Air Show	Military aircraft, vehicles and history
Sat/Sun, June 26/27, 2027	Festival of Flight	two-day flagship event of the season
Sat, July 24, 2027	Summer Air Show	American theme for the 80th anniversary of the US Air Force
Sat, August 14, 2027	Wings & Wheels	Aviation and vintage vehicles
Sat, August 28, 2027	Flying Proms	Evening with aerobatics and live music
Sat, September 25, 2027	Season Finale	new show with fireworks to close the season

Important for your planning: the Trust does not publish times for individual displays. The event pages give only approximate time windows, usually one flying program from early afternoon and, at some shows, a second one in the evening. Every program is subject to weather and serviceability and can change on the day itself. The Edwardian types from before World War I in particular are light and slow – in too much wind they stay on the ground. Many regulars therefore stay until the end, because the calmer air in the late afternoon often offers the best chances.

Which event suits you depends on your goals. If you want to see as many collection aircraft as possible, the classic Collection shows are right. The Festival of Flight is the season’s two-day flagship, and the Military Air Show sets a military focus. At the Flying Proms, atmosphere comes first. For an overview of other air shows in Europe, see the article Air shows in Europe for plane spotters.

Photo tips for vintage aircraft on the grass runway

Old Warden sets you challenges you hardly know from big airports. The most important: propellers want to spin. With an exposure time of 1/2000 second you freeze every propeller, and the Spitfire looks as if it’s gliding with the engine stopped. For propeller aircraft in a flypast, many photographers work at 1/250 to 1/125 second, and longer still for slow biplanes and rotary engines. Which speeds give a visible propeller disc at which rpm is explained in the guide Photographing propellers.

Longer speeds demand a clean panning technique: you follow the aircraft smoothly with the camera, release the shutter while moving and keep swinging afterward. If you’re unsure, start at 1/320 second and work your way down step by step. Burst shooting raises the hit rate. The technique in detail is in the article Panning technique.

On focal length: because the aircraft fly slowly and relatively close, you get by with less than at a fence spot. A zoom up to 400 millimeters covers most flypasts; for formations and wide turns, more helps. In the hangars and on the flightline tour, on the other hand, you need wide-angle to standard zoom – see the guide Wide-angle and standard lenses for spotting for hints.

On light: going by the position of the hangars and spectator areas west of the runway, on Flying Days you look roughly east across the field. The sun is then more behind you in the afternoon and evening, and at midday it can glare from the side from the south. Check the situation on site and plan with a sun position tool – the article Planning the sun position for your photo spot shows how. Under an overcast sky, slight overexposure and a background of trees instead of sky help.

On the background: the grass runway with trees and meadows is a gift. Instead of gray terminals you have a backdrop that suits aircraft from the 1910s to the 1940s. Low flypasts in front of the tree line often look more fitting than shots against a blue sky. At takeoff, watch for grass and dust trails behind the tailwheel – small details that bring the picture to life.

You’ll find more on preparing for a long air show day in the articles Photographing air shows and Air show day checklist.

Visiting on normal days

Old Warden is worthwhile even without an air show. According to the Trust, the collection is open daily, except for a few days around the year-end holidays. On weekdays it is 10 am to 5 pm; on weekends it opens partly as early as 9 am in the calendar, and last admission is at 4:30 pm. Check the times beforehand in the online calendar, because events can displace normal opening.

The day ticket costs £19.50 for adults according to the Trust, with concessions at £17.50 for over-60s, members of the armed forces and students. Admission is free for under 18s. The ticket is valid for 30 days for any number of visits – but not on air show and event days. Shuttleworth House is not included.

On a normal day you have the hangars largely to yourself. The aircraft stand close together, some with open cowlings in maintenance. That is the chance for shots of cockpits, engines, wooden propellers and fabric covering. There may be flying – Old Warden is an active airfield where visiting aircraft land too – but it isn’t plannable. Besides the aircraft, vintage cars, carriages and farm machinery belong to the collection, plus the historic landscape garden Swiss Garden on the same estate.

For breaks there is the Runway Café. Dogs on leads are allowed, for example, in the paddocks at the airfield, the Visitor Centre and the Sunroom of the café, but not in the hangars, the Swiss Garden or the house. Assistance dogs are allowed everywhere. Parking is free according to the Trust.

Getting there: train, taxi, car

Old Warden lies in the countryside west of the A1 near Biggleswade. By car the trip is easiest. On normal visiting days you enter the grounds via Hill Lane (postcode for your navigation: SG18 9EP) or Alder Drive (SG18 9DT). On event and air show days only the entrance via Alder Drive is open – expect crowds then and plan early.

By train, Biggleswade is the nearest station, about three miles away. According to the Trust, from there it takes about ten minutes by taxi or 45 to 60 minutes on foot. Alternatively, go to Bedford, about 9.5 miles away, and take a taxi for about 20 minutes. On Flying Days you should book the return taxi in advance, because many people leave at the same time in the evening.

If you’re coming from abroad, you’ll usually land at one of the London airports. From London Luton and London Stansted it isn’t far to Bedfordshire. If you want to photograph scheduled traffic before your flight home, you’ll find tips in the article Plane spotting at Heathrow.

With your own aircraft you can even fly in: Old Warden has a grass runway, but landings are only possible with prior permission (PPR) via the airfield’s website.

Rules on Flying Days

Old Warden is a relaxed place, but clear rules apply on Flying Days. The list of prohibited items includes ladders, drones, gazebos and oversized umbrellas, barbecues and open fires, laser pointers, as well as Segways, scooters and skateboards. Small, well-secured beach shelters up to 1.2 meters high are allowed. The list says nothing about chairs and tripods – if in doubt, you ask beforehand.

The flightline tour is the upgrade for photographers. For about 45 to 55 minutes a guide leads you among the parked aircraft. You can take part from age 14; under-18s and people with reduced mobility need a companion, and dogs are not allowed. Whether and when tours are offered is on the respective event page.

Combining Old Warden with other destinations

The east of England is densely dotted with aviation destinations. The most obvious is IWM Duxford south of Cambridge – also a museum on an active airfield, with warbirds, large aircraft and its own Flying Days. Dates and tips are in the article IWM Duxford air shows. Background on the institution is in the profile of the Imperial War Museum Duxford.

If you want to dig deeper into de Havilland history, visit the de Havilland Aircraft Museum in Hertfordshire. For the pioneer era and motor racing, the Brooklands Museum southwest of London is exciting, and for the history of the Royal Air Force, the RAF Museum London. Farther away wait the RAF Museum Cosford, the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovilton and Aerospace Bristol in Filton.

If flying vintage aircraft thrill you, a look at Germany is also worthwhile: at the Hahnweide vintage aircraft meeting, historic aircraft from all over Europe come together. And for military history without flying, the Luftwaffe Museum in Berlin-Gatow is a good addition.

Verdict

The Shuttleworth Collection is one of the most unusual spots in Europe: no scheduled traffic, no widebody jets, but aircraft from the pioneer era and the two World Wars that actually fly. On the short grass runway at Old Warden they come closer to you than at almost any big air show, against a backdrop of meadows and trees that fits their age.

The price is planning. Without a Flying Day you mainly see the hangars, and even on Flying Days the wind decides what gets airborne. If you accept that, practice with long shutter speeds and stay until the evening, you take home pictures from Old Warden that exist nowhere else.