Cardington Airship Hangers, used to construct the ill-fated R101, are amongst the largest and most unusual industrial buildings in the world. The Cardington site was bought in 1917 by the Admiralty for the purpose of developing airships; the first launch was that of the R31 in 1918. The Air Ministry took over the site in 1919, becoming known as the Royal Airship Works in 1921. A series of great successes came to an end with the loss of the massive R101 at Beauvais, France, in October 1930, with the loss of 48 lives. A subsequent enquiry concluded that the airship programme should be abandoned.

The great sheds are located in the flat valley of the River Great Ouse, 2 miles south of Bedford. Both sheds were built in 1916-17 as steel portal frames. The eastern shed was brought here from Pulham in Norfolk in 1927. The original length was 213 m. and 56 m. wide. Subsequently the length was increased by four bays to 248 m. and the height raised to 53 m. A total of 3700 tonnes of steel was used in the framework of each shed. Originally the sheds had capstan-operated doors at both ends but they now have a pair of powered doors at one end only. The site can be visited but prior permission must be obtained.