An aircraft landing gear assembly comprising: a main strut having a first end region arranged to be movably coupled to an aircraft such that the main strut can be moved between a deployed condition, for take-off and landing, and a stowed condition for flight; a damping device arranged to oppose movement of the main strut as it approaches the deployed condition; a retraction actuator coupled to one of the aircraft and the main strut; a mechanical retraction linkage coupled to the retraction actuator via a first joint and coupled to an opposite one of the aircraft or the main strut in comparison to the retraction actuator via a second joint; and a locking device (22b, 22c', 22b"', 22c"') operable to change the retraction linkage between: a locking condition in which the retraction linkage inhibits relative movement between the first joint and second joint in at least one direction along a linkage axis intersecting the first and second joints such that the retraction actuator can apply a stowing force to the main strut through the retraction linkage to move the main strut from the deployed condition to the stowed condition; and an extensible condition in which the retraction linkage permits relative movement between the first joint and the second joint independently of the extension state of the retraction actuator while remaining coupled to the first joint and the second joint such that the main strut can be deployed by way of gravity. a main strut having a first end region arranged to be movably coupled to an aircraft such that the main strut can be moved between a deployed condition, for take-off and landing, and a stowed condition for flight; a damping device arranged to oppose movement of the main strut as it approaches the deployed condition; a retraction actuator coupled to one of the aircraft and the main strut; a mechanical retraction linkage coupled to the retraction actuator via a first joint and coupled to an opposite one of the aircraft or the main strut in comparison to the retraction actuator via a second joint; and a locking device (22b, 22c', 22b"', 22c"') operable to change the retraction linkage between: a locking condition in which the retraction linkage inhibits relative movement between the first joint and second joint in at least one direction along a linkage axis intersecting the first and second joints such that the retraction actuator can apply a stowing force to the main strut through the retraction linkage to move the main strut from the deployed condition to the stowed condition; and an extensible condition in which the retraction linkage permits relative movement between the first joint and the second joint independently of the extension state of the retraction actuator while remaining coupled to the first joint and the second joint such that the main strut can be deployed by way of gravity. a locking condition in which the retraction linkage inhibits relative movement between the first joint and second joint in at least one direction along a linkage axis intersecting the first and second joints such that the retraction actuator can apply a stowing force to the main strut through the retraction linkage to move the main strut from the deployed condition to the stowed condition; and an extensible condition in which the retraction linkage permits relative movement between the first joint and the second joint independently of the extension state of the retraction actuator while remaining coupled to the first joint and the second joint such that the main strut can be deployed by way of gravity.