Shuttleworth House

In 1872, Joseph Shuttleworth bought Old Warden Estate. The original red brick manor house, which was built by the previous occupants, the Ongley family, was pulled down and the architect Henry Clutton, a prominent Victorian architect, was commissioned to design the House you see today, built by local firm Cubitts.

Joseph Shuttleworth married Sarah Grace Clayton in 1841 and had two sons Alfred & Frank. Frank, the younger of the two brothers, was born in 1845. He became chair of the family firm and was a Director of the Great Northern Railway and one of the original members of Bedfordshire County Council. On his death in 1883 his younger son, Frank, inherited Old Warden Park with Alfred inheriting the business and properties in Lincoln.

In 1902, Colonel Frank Shuttleworth married Dorothy Clotilda Lang, the youngest daughter of the Reverend Robert Lang, Vicar of Old Warden. It was a happy marriage and in 1909, they had a son, Richard. Richard was an indulged child who loved the estate and the village. In 1913, when Richard was 4 years old, his father, Frank Shuttleworth, died. Dorothy took over the running of the Estate aged 34. Dorothy re-married but after just 10 years of marriage her husband, Brigadier General Campbell, died. She then changed her name back to Shuttleworth for ease of running the Estate.

In 1932, Richard inherited the Estate. He built up a sizeable collection of cars and later aircraft, which now form the Shuttleworth Collection. When war broke out Richard joined the Royal Air Force Voluntary Reserve (RAFVR) as a Pilot Officer but on 1 August 1940 he was killed shortly after take-off on a night flying exercise from RAF Benson. Dorothy, although devastated by her son’s death, took over management of the Estate, which was currently being used as a Red Cross convalescent home, and auxiliary hospital.

In 1944, Dorothy decided to turn the Estate into a Charitable Trust in memory of her son “for the teaching of the science and practice of aviation and of afforestation and agriculture” two of Richard’s passions, and in 1946, the doors of Shuttleworth College opened. It is still a successful land based college operating on this site by Bedford College. Dorothy was Chairman until her death in 1968 aged 89.

It was not until 1963 that the Shuttleworth Collection opened to the public, with Swiss Garden following in 1981.