About
Britain's oldest aircraft museum occupies one of the most atmospheric settings in British aviation heritage — Salisbury Hall, a seventeenth-century moated manor house at London Colney in Hertfordshire. The site's wartime history runs deep: during the Second World War, Geoffrey de Havilland's design team worked here in strict secrecy, in a modest building behind the manor house, developing the prototype Mosquito — the revolutionary twin-engine aircraft that would become one of the most versatile and important machines of the war. That original prototype, W4050, is preserved here today.
Founded in 1959, the De Havilland Aircraft Museum is the oldest aircraft museum in Britain, celebrating the full arc of the de Havilland Aircraft Company's extraordinary output. From the pioneering biplanes of the 1920s and 1930s through to the jet age, de Havilland shaped British aviation more completely than almost any other company. The centrepiece of the collection is the prototype de Havilland Comet — G-ALVG — the world's first commercial jet airliner, which first flew in July 1949 and ushered in the age of civil jet travel. This aircraft, preserved in its original form with its square windows and sleek lines, represents one of the most significant objects in the history of flight anywhere in the world.
Around it stand some seventy aircraft, representing almost every type that emerged from the de Havilland works at nearby Hatfield: the graceful Vampire and Venom jet fighters, the Sea Vampire, Hornet, Dove, Heron, and many others. The collection of de Havilland aero-engines — from the Gipsy Minor to the Ghost turbojet — is comprehensive and expertly displayed. Beyond the aircraft, the museum holds extensive archives of drawings, photographs, and documents relating to the company's entire history.
The setting at Salisbury Hall adds immeasurably to the experience. The Jacobean moated manor house — where King Charles II entertained Nell Gwynne and where Winston Churchill came to inspect secret wartime work — is itself a historic building of real character, and the grounds give the museum a quality rare among aviation collections. The approach across the bridge over the moat, with historic aircraft among mature trees, is unlike almost any other museum approach in Britain.
The museum is operated by volunteers and charitable supporters who bring genuine enthusiasm to the care and interpretation of the collection. Ongoing restoration projects add an active workshop quality to visits. Access to some areas, including the Mosquito prototype building, is by guided tour, which are highly recommended for the additional depth they provide on both the aircraft and the extraordinary wartime history of the hall itself.
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Plan Your Visit
⏱️ Recommended Visit Duration
💡 Visitor Tips
- Book guided access to the Prototype Mosquito Building in advance — places are limited and the tour, included in admission, provides essential context for understanding W4050's significance.
- Arrive when the museum opens to have the Comet to yourself before coach parties arrive mid-morning. The aircraft is genuinely more moving in quiet.
- The museum is in Hertfordshire, not London — despite the London Colney name. Use postcode AL2 1BU for sat-nav; it is 2 miles from M25 Junction 22.
- Wear comfortable shoes: the hangar floors include concrete, grass, and uneven surfaces as you move between the historic hall and the aircraft displays outside.
- The volunteer guides and restoration team members are an extraordinary resource — do engage with them if you find them working, as their knowledge of both the aircraft and de Havilland history is deep and enthusiastic.
- Allow at least two and a half hours, more if you are interested in engineering detail. The company history gallery alone takes 30 minutes to appreciate properly.
- Check the events calendar before visiting: the museum holds special days including airshow open days, wartime weekends, and Mosquito anniversary events that add significantly to the experience.
- The adjacent moat and grounds make for a pleasant walk before or after the museum, particularly in summer. The hall itself is worth examining from the outside for its historic character.
Highlights
Prototype de Havilland Comet — G-ALVG
The most important object in the museum and one of the most significant aircraft in existence: the prototype de Havilland Comet, G-ALVG, the world's first commercial jet airliner. First flown on 27 July 1949, the Comet transformed civil aviation and made de Havilland famous across the world. This aircraft survives in its original configuration, complete with its distinctive square passenger windows, and stands as the physical record of a moment that permanently changed the way human beings travel.
Looking at the sleek aluminium fuselage, it is hard to comprehend that this aircraft was designed and built more than seventy years ago.
Prototype de Havilland Mosquito — W4050
The original prototype Mosquito — W4050 — was built in the outbuilding behind Salisbury Hall where de Havilland's design team worked in secret after their main Hatfield works became too obvious a bombing target in 1940. This is the aircraft that proved the concept: a high-speed, unarmed twin-engine aircraft built largely of wood that would outrun anything the Luftwaffe could put up against it.
W4050 first flew on 25 November 1940 and led directly to one of the most versatile and beloved aircraft of the entire war.
A visit to the small building where it was born is a genuinely moving experience.
de Havilland Vampire — Britain's First Jet Fighter
The de Havilland Vampire was one of the first jet-powered aircraft to enter RAF service, becoming operational in 1946. Several Vampires of different marks are displayed at the museum, including some in RAF colours. The Vampire's distinctive twin-boom design — a twin tail pushed back by the short jet pipe — was unusual and instantly recognisable.
Its replacement in service, the Venom, also de Havilland-designed, is displayed alongside it. Together they represent the transition from piston power to jets in the RAF's frontline, a transition de Havilland led as decisively in fighters as in airliners.
Salisbury Hall — Seventeenth-Century Moated Manor
The museum's setting is as remarkable as its collection.
Salisbury Hall is a Jacobean manor house dating from the early seventeenth century, surrounded by a moat that dates back still further, possibly to the medieval period. King Charles II is believed to have entertained Nell Gwynne here, and the house was used for classified wartime work.
The approach across the ancient drawbridge, with aircraft visible through the trees and the old brick walls of the hall rising behind, is utterly unlike any approach to any other aviation museum in the country. The hall itself is open for viewing.
Collections
The De Havilland Aircraft Museum holds around seventy aircraft representing the almost complete output of the de Havilland Aircraft Company from the 1920s to 1960s, supplemented by associated manufacturers and related types. The collection is unique in Britain for its depth of coverage of a single manufacturer's output, and the presence of two original prototypes — the Comet and the Mosquito — gives it an importance that extends well beyond the specialist.
The aero-engine collection is particularly strong, covering de Havilland engine development from piston through to jet.
Company archives, drawings, photographic collections, and personal papers relating to Geoffrey de Havilland and other key figures are held and available for research by arrangement.
The Prototype Mosquito Building
The original building behind Salisbury Hall where the Mosquito prototype W4050 was designed and built in 1940, accessed by guided tour.
The de Havilland Story
Permanent gallery tracing the complete history of the de Havilland Aircraft Company from 1920 to 1960.
The Comet Hall
Dedicated display around the prototype Comet G-ALVG with full context on the development and subsequent history of the world's first jet airliner.
Current Exhibitions
No current exhibitions. Please check the museum website for updates.