What Shuttleworth Trust does

The Shuttleworth Trust is a UK registered charity (No. 307534) operating a heritage aviation and events destination across a 4,500-acre Grade II* listed estate at Old Warden Park, Bedfordshire. The core asset is The Collection — six hangars housing what the organisation describes as some of the world's oldest airworthy historic aircraft, alongside veteran vehicles, bicycles, and carriages. The estate also comprises the nine-acre Regency Swiss Garden (an RHS Partner Garden since 2020), the Victorian Shuttleworth House, and an active airfield, which together generate revenue through general admission tickets, seven annual air shows (drawing over 33,000 attendees per year), wedding and corporate hire, filming location rentals, hangarage, flight experiences, camping, and on-site accommodation including 15 Garden Suite rooms and The Flat (a self-contained apartment listed exclusively on Airbnb). The Trust is governed by Richard Shuttleworth Trustees as sole trustee and operates accommodation services through a wholly-owned subsidiary, Old Warden Limited (company number 06366021). It is supported by 300+ volunteers and two affiliated membership organisations — the Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society (SVAS, est. 1965) and the Friends of the Swiss Garden (est. 1992) — which fund acquisitions and restoration work. Revenue is generated through a diversified mix of consumer-facing transactional streams (tickets, accommodation, food & beverage, gift shop) and B2B hire streams (weddings, corporate events, filming, hangarage), with prices ranging from £7.50 general adult admission up to £110/night for The Flat, supplemented by recurring membership and donation income from SVAS, Friends of the Swiss Garden, and ad-hoc donors. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the shuttleworth.org website and Digitickets ticketing platform, with distribution partnerships through Airbnb for The Flat and event-based collaborations with the Vintage Aircraft Club, NSRA, and the National Symphony Orchestra.

Name

Shuttleworth Trust

Legal name

The Shuttleworth Trust

Website

https://shuttleworth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Shuttleworth Trust is a UK registered charity operating a 4,500-acre heritage aviation estate in Bedfordshire, offering six hangars of historic airworthy aircraft, a Regency Swiss Garden, Victorian mansion, and an annual programme of air shows, weddings, and corporate events to families, enthusiasts, and private clients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Heritage Aviation Attractions

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Land Trusts & Protected Areas (BPAGAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Aviation Experiences (Charters, Scenic Flights, Helicopter Tours) (THAJALAF), Conservation Easements & Land Trust Services (AFAMAMAH)

Keywords

• Heritage aviation
• Air shows
• Wedding venues
• Corporate event venues
• Historic aircraft collection

Headquarters

HQ city

Old Warden

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Visitor Attractions: Admission tickets for The Collection and Swiss Garden. General admission tickets valid for 30 days from purchase date. Return visits within validity period included.
2. Air Shows and Events: Seven air shows annually plus special events. Tickets purchased per event date. Additional revenue from programmes, flightline tours, and ticket protection.
3. Camping: Pitch camping for tents and motorhomes. Available for 1-5 nights Wednesday-Sunday. £25 per pitch per night.
4. Accommodation: The Garden Suite offers 15 en-suite rooms starting from £65 per single room per night. The Flat at Shuttleworth House is a self-contained apartment available via Airbnb from £110 per night.
5. Corporate and Private Hire: Corporate hire of the 4,500 acre estate for events, business meetings, team training, banqueting, and private parties. Private hire for celebrations. Weddings at Shuttleworth House.
6. Membership and Donations: Financial support from Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society and Friends of the Swiss Garden. Donations accepted.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The Shuttleworth Trust is a registered charity that operates a 4,500-acre heritage estate at Old Warden, Bedfordshire, delivering visitor attractions, air shows, weddings, corporate hire, accommodation, and educational programs. Its core offering centres on The Collection of airworthy historic aircraft housed in six hangars, complemented by the nine-acre Regency Swiss Garden, the Victorian Shuttleworth House, and an active grass airfield hosting seven annual air shows.

Product overview

Shuttleworth Trust operates as a heritage aviation and events destination offering a unified portfolio of attractions, events, and hospitality services centered around its historic aircraft collection and estate. The core offering is The Collection—a curated display of historic aircraft, veteran vehicles, bicycles, and carriages housed in six hangars—complemented by the Swiss Garden (a nine-acre Regency garden), Shuttleworth House (Victorian mansion), and the wider Shuttleworth Estate (Grade II* listed parkland spanning Old Warden Park). The Trust generates revenue through multiple channels: paid admission to the Collection and Swiss Garden; seven annual air shows featuring flying displays; private event hire including weddings, corporate events, and filming; and hospitality services including accommodation (camping pitches, 15 en-suite Garden Suite rooms, and The Flat apartment), food and beverage (Runway Café), and a gift shop. Educational programs and flight experiences provide additional offerings. All offerings are unified under the Shuttleworth Trust brand rather than sold as separate modular products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Collection: Historic aircraft and vehicle collection housed in six hangars at Old Warden Aerodrome
• Swiss Garden
• Shuttleworth House
• Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society (SVAS)
• The Friends of the Swiss Garden

Products and services

• The Collection A curated display of historic aircraft, veteran vehicles, bicycles, and carriages housed in six hangars, representing some of the world's oldest airworthy examples of their types; open year-round to general visitors.
• Swiss Garden A nine-acre Regency garden featuring quirky structures, resident peacocks, and historical features including the restored Diana of Gabii statue. Recognised as an RHS Partner Garden.
• Shuttleworth House A Victorian mansion house set within the estate, offering wedding ceremonies, private hire, corporate events, and accommodation options.
• Shuttleworth Estate Grade II* listed historic parkland encompassing the mansion, gardens, airfield, and wider estate spanning Old Warden Park, available for hire and event use.
• Air Shows Seven annual air shows featuring historic aircraft displays, ground attractions, military vehicle parades, and themed events including the Flying Proms with live symphony orchestra.
• Weddings Wedding ceremonies and receptions held in the grounds of Shuttleworth House, including private show-rounds, exhibitor showcases, and various venue spaces.
• Corporate Hire Private hire of Shuttleworth House and estate grounds for corporate events, business meetings, team training, banqueting, and exclusive gatherings.
• Filming Filming location hire offering access to historic aircraft hangars, mansion house, gardens, and airfield for film and photography productions.
• Hangarage Hangarage facilities for aircraft storage at Old Warden Aerodrome with PPR (Prior Permission Required) for flying access.
• Camping Camping and caravan pitches on the estate grounds, available for air show weekends and event stays at £25 per pitch per night.
• Garden Suite Fifteen en-suite rooms in the Garden Suite at Shuttleworth House offering views across the parkland, priced from £65 per single room per night.
• The Flat at Shuttleworth House A self-contained apartment within Shuttleworth House with views across Old Warden Park, available exclusively via Airbnb from £110 per night.
• Flight Experiences Flight experiences offering the opportunity to fly in historic aircraft at Old Warden Aerodrome, with PPR requirements for private aircraft.
• Learning Programs Educational programs and workshops for school groups and visitors focusing on aviation history, science, and engineering.
• Summer Fete Open Weekend Family-friendly events featuring live music, craft markets, food vendors, fun fair rides, games, and themed activities such as drone racing and circus skills workshops.
• Comedy Nights Comedy nights featuring stand-up acts within the grand setting of the Saloon at Shuttleworth House, with bar service and food options.
• Tribute Nights Themed entertainment evenings such as Blues Brothers tribute shows featuring live music, food platters, and dancing.
• Food & Drink Dining facilities including the Runway Café with seated dining and external caterers providing takeaway food and drink options across the site.
• Gift Shop Souvenir shop located in the Visitor Centre offering gifts, memorabilia, and aviation-themed merchandise.
• Car & Bike Clubs Designated parking areas for car and motorcycle clubs at air shows and selected events, with specific entry routes and pricing.
• The Grand Marquee Premium dining experience within the Grand Marquee offering tables of 4, 6, 8 or 10 with entry, flag, programme, and exclusive bar and toilet access for the Flying Proms Air Show.
• Military Air Show Annual themed air show featuring military aircraft displays, military vehicle parades, and re-enactments, with armed forces discounts available.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 33,000 attendees at air shows annually

Named customers2 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Friends of the Swiss GardencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1992Formed in 1992 to support, promote and raise funds for the Swiss Garden. Through volunteer time, they supported restoration of the garden. Purchased and reinstated a Diana of Gabii statue in 2024 for the garden's 200th anniversary.
• Shuttleworth Veteran Aeroplane Society (SVAS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1965Established 1965 to support the Shuttleworth Collection. Offers volunteer support and raises essential funds for the Collection, enabling aircraft acquisitions including Westland Lysander, Chipmunk, Provost, Super Cub, and Hawk Speed Six. Awarded King's Award for Voluntary Service in 2014.
• Vintage Aircraft ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginally formed in 1964 under the Vintage Aircraft Group. Aim is to provide a focal body for owners, pilots and enthusiasts of vintage and classic light aircraft by arranging fly-ins and other events across the UK. Holds annual fly-in at Shuttleworth Old Warden Aerodrome.
• National Street Rod Association (NSRA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormed in 1972, NSRA is the club of choice for UK rodding enthusiasts. Organises two major Hot Rod show weekends plus swapmeets and drag racing events. Second major Hot Rod show of the year is NSRA Hot Rod Supernationals held at Shuttleworth.
• National Symphony OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPerforms live at the Flying Proms Air Show with aerobatics and pyrotechnics choreographed to live music, followed by spectacular firework finale.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Brooklands Museum: Heritage aviation and motoring museum in Surrey with airworthy aircraft collection, regular flying displays, weddings, corporate events, and conference hire. Closely comparable in combining aviation heritage, event hire, and educational offerings.
• De Havilland Aircraft Heritage Centre: Volunteer-led aviation heritage centre preserving De Havilland aircraft. Smaller-scale direct comparable with similar volunteer-driven operating model and airworthy historic aircraft focus.
• RAF Museum Cosford: National aviation heritage museum with significant aircraft collection, educational programmes, and events. Comparable in operating as a heritage aviation attraction with public access and visitor-driven revenue model.
• Imperial War Museum Duxford: Europe's largest aviation museum with extensive airworthy historic aircraft collection and major annual air shows. Most direct comparable as a UK heritage aviation attraction offering collection access, flying displays, weddings, corporate events, and educational programmes.

Broad incumbents

• Syon Park: Historic ducal estate in West London operating as visitor attraction, wedding and corporate events venue, and conservation property. Comparable in heritage house venue model targeting the same wedding and corporate hire market.
• Goodwood: Large heritage estate in West Sussex operating motoring and aviation events (Festival of Speed, Revival), weddings, corporate hospitality, and a hotel. Significantly larger scale but directly comparable in heritage estate event-driven model and aviation/motoring crossover.
• Blenheim Palace: UNESCO World Heritage Site operating as a heritage attraction, wedding venue, corporate events space, and visitor destination. Comparable in wedding and corporate event revenue mix within a stately heritage setting, though without aviation specialism.
• Knebworth House: Historic Hertfordshire stately home hosting concerts, weddings, corporate events, and public open days. Comparable in heritage house events business, with music events at Knebworth providing parallel to Shuttleworth's Flying Proms air show with live orchestra.
• National Trust: UK's largest conservation charity operating heritage properties, gardens, and visitor attractions with weddings, events, and membership model. Comparable in charitable heritage estate operation, though at vastly greater scale across multiple sites.
• Woburn Abbey: Heritage house and deer park operating weddings, corporate events, and visitor attractions. Comparable in heritage estate operations and private-hire revenue model, with similar Bedfordshire proximity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ShuttleworthTru
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Shuttleworth2010
• Facebookfacebook.com/Shuttleworthtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/shuttleworth-trust
• Instagraminstagram.com/shuttleworthtrust
• TikToktiktok.com/@shuttleworthtrust

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shuttleworth Trust