The Shuttleworth Collection

The Shuttleworth Collection sits just outside Henlow and is one of those places that completely blindsides you with how good it is. We're talking a working aviation museum where the planes actually fly - not static displays gathering dust, but genuine Edwardian and vintage aircraft taking to the air on regular flying days.

You'll walk through hangars filled with everything from 1909 biplanes to a Spitfire, all in various states of restoration or flying condition. The engineering is genuinely fascinating, even if you've never cared much about planes before. Seeing a 1910 Blériot or a de Havilland Moth hanging overhead does something to you.

There's also a motor museum on site with classic cars dating back decades, so if aircraft aren't your thing, there's enough to keep most people occupied for a good three to four hours. Families with older kids will get far more from this than young children - there's not much interactive stuff, so a five-year-old will probably drag you out after an hour.

Flying days are the real draw. Check ahead because they're seasonal and weather-dependent. Regular open days are perfectly good too, but watching those vintage planes actually leave the ground is something else entirely. It's near enough to Henlow Bridge Lakes for a park-based holiday, though the museum trip works best as a half-day outing rather than your main event. Allow a full afternoon minimum if you want to do it justice.