A History of Shuttleworth
Richard Ormonde Shuttleworth, the squire of the Shuttleworth
Estate, was killed aged just 31 in 1940 while he was serving with
the Royal Air Force. He had a keen interest in farming and estate
management and after his death his mother, Dorothy, established the
Shuttleworth Trust in his memory.
The two principle objectives of this trust were the
establishment of the College at Old Warden Park and the development
of the Shuttleworth Collection, which is a unique collection of
veteran aeroplanes, cars and other vehicles, situated at the
aerodrome within Old Warden Park. The College enrolled its first
students in 1946 and in 1963 Dorothy Shuttleworth was awarded an
OBE in recognition of her services to agricultural education. By
the time of her death in 1968, the College had established its
place as a national centre for agricultural education.
In 2009, the College became part of Bedford College – a Beacon status
and Ofsted ‘outstanding’ college. Under this new management,
Shuttleworth College now plans major growth in its facilities and
course portfolio, providing even more opportunities for all.