WW2 areas of interest
Discussion
My parents are coming to stay with us over Christmas, and the chances are this might be my dad's last Christmas so I'd like to spend some time with him.
He's always had a strong interest in WW2 history, so if I could find somewhere to take him in the Wiltshire area he might enjoy it.
Anyone have any suggestions?
He's always had a strong interest in WW2 history, so if I could find somewhere to take him in the Wiltshire area he might enjoy it.
Anyone have any suggestions?
Tyneham Village is much more WW2 on the Dorset coat, nice walks around the area.
A few WW2 airfields about, The one at Zeals the lookout tower is now a house, (would love to own that place), most of the peri tracks are still visible & very nearby on the small hill to the east is a memorial to an American coloured bomber crew that went down in unfortunate training circumstances, remarkably a chap I work with is related to one of the crew members. The big hill overlooking the airfield is White Sheet Down, has nice walks with its own cold war ROC nuclear bunker hidden in the grass at the top & just below is Ye Olde Red Lion pub at Kilmington, a good halfway point. This is also within spitting distance of Stourhead house & gardens.
A few WW2 airfields about, The one at Zeals the lookout tower is now a house, (would love to own that place), most of the peri tracks are still visible & very nearby on the small hill to the east is a memorial to an American coloured bomber crew that went down in unfortunate training circumstances, remarkably a chap I work with is related to one of the crew members. The big hill overlooking the airfield is White Sheet Down, has nice walks with its own cold war ROC nuclear bunker hidden in the grass at the top & just below is Ye Olde Red Lion pub at Kilmington, a good halfway point. This is also within spitting distance of Stourhead house & gardens.
Agree Tank museum - but Dorset.
I think the Monkton Farleigh museum at Box Tunnel has closed? I went 20 odd years ago and was pretty impressed - there was a huge storage area for all the ammunition for the D-Day landings. Trains would stop in Box tunnel and the shells etc were unloaded & stored in hundreds of miles of tunnels - had it gone 'bang' it would have been the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever (bigger than RAF Fauld explosion)
How about the Science Museum in Wroughton nr Swindon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
Selected large objects at Wroughton[edit]
Douglas DC3 aircraft.
Ford Edsel motor car.
Boeing 247 aircraft.
Handley Page Gugnunc biplane.
Lockheed Constellation aircraft.
The Wood Press[edit]
The largest object at Wroughton is thought to be the Wood Press, part of the last working printing press in Fleet Street. The press was acquired in 2001 and weighs 140 tonnes. It is the size of two small houses.[6]
Important works in the Library and Archives[edit]
Charles Babbage's notebooks, engineering plans, certificates, social diary and letters.
Barnes Wallis’s plans for the bouncing bomb.
Pearson PLC engineering papers and photographs.
Walt Patterson nuclear collection.
Humphry Davy's letters.
George Parker Bidder's papers.
The New Cyclopaedia, or, Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences. (Rees's Cyclopædia)[7]
See also[edit]
I think the Monkton Farleigh museum at Box Tunnel has closed? I went 20 odd years ago and was pretty impressed - there was a huge storage area for all the ammunition for the D-Day landings. Trains would stop in Box tunnel and the shells etc were unloaded & stored in hundreds of miles of tunnels - had it gone 'bang' it would have been the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever (bigger than RAF Fauld explosion)
How about the Science Museum in Wroughton nr Swindon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
wiki: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
Selected large objects at Wroughton[edit]
Douglas DC3 aircraft.
Ford Edsel motor car.
Boeing 247 aircraft.
Handley Page Gugnunc biplane.
Lockheed Constellation aircraft.
The Wood Press[edit]
The largest object at Wroughton is thought to be the Wood Press, part of the last working printing press in Fleet Street. The press was acquired in 2001 and weighs 140 tonnes. It is the size of two small houses.[6]
Important works in the Library and Archives[edit]
Charles Babbage's notebooks, engineering plans, certificates, social diary and letters.
Barnes Wallis’s plans for the bouncing bomb.
Pearson PLC engineering papers and photographs.
Walt Patterson nuclear collection.
Humphry Davy's letters.
George Parker Bidder's papers.
The New Cyclopaedia, or, Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences. (Rees's Cyclopædia)[7]
See also[edit]
alfaspecial said:
How about the Science Museum in Wroughton nr Swindon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
It's great, and I live locally and went often as a child, however it is sadly no longer open to the public.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
tog said:
alfaspecial said:
How about the Science Museum in Wroughton nr Swindon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
It's great, and I live locally and went often as a child, however it is sadly no longer open to the public.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Science_Museum_at_Wr...
https://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/researchers/libra...
Got to be Bovington Tank Museum, it has the big advantage of being weatherproof at this time of year, ie it's indoors!! Well worth a day out, plenty of interest for WW2 fans.
Tigers!
170620 Tiger Panorama by David Yeoman, on Flickr
Tigers!
170620 Tiger Panorama by David Yeoman, on Flickr
DavidY said:
Got to be Bovington Tank Museum, it has the big advantage of being weatherproof at this time of year, ie it's indoors!! Well worth a day out, plenty of interest for WW2 fans.
Tigers!
170620 Tiger Panorama by David Yeoman, on Flickr
If interested in Tiger Tanks Haynes have published this:Tigers!
170620 Tiger Panorama by David Yeoman, on Flickr
https://haynes.com/en-gb/microsites/tigertank/
Available from 'The Works' for £6
https://www.theworks.co.uk/p/military-books/haynes...
SlimRick said:
Thanks for the great suggestions.
Bovington is a good call, we went there when I was a kid so it would be nice to revisit.
When I went as a child some 40 years ago, it was just a big shed with lines of parked tanks, it has changed a lot, and though it possibly has less tanks in it now, it is well ordered and actually leads you through the history.Bovington is a good call, we went there when I was a kid so it would be nice to revisit.
Bovingdon - Ah yes, and since your dear relative is elderly, I can also tell you that the loos are excellent, there are places to sit if you all get tired on the way round, and - even more important - the modern cafe (which overlooks the newest hall) is very high quality.
Much recommended - I live quite close by,and have often taken visitors, who all come away enthused.
[PS: In my village, one of the ex-Army REME maintenance volunteers who lived nearby, worked on rebuilding the museum's King Tiger tank - which is, I believe, the only working one in the world - and at the grand old age of 80-Plus he had the joy of driving it out on one of the demonstration days !]
Much recommended - I live quite close by,and have often taken visitors, who all come away enthused.
[PS: In my village, one of the ex-Army REME maintenance volunteers who lived nearby, worked on rebuilding the museum's King Tiger tank - which is, I believe, the only working one in the world - and at the grand old age of 80-Plus he had the joy of driving it out on one of the demonstration days !]
Somerset & Dorest railway line running down from Green Park in Bath to the south coast was one of the major supply lines to the coast, and where the real invasion force snuck down whilst the blow up tanks were being sent elsewhere.
Loads of pillboxes along the former track route, there is a tiny museum at Midsomer Norton with loads of WWII stuff in it.
Loads of pillboxes along the former track route, there is a tiny museum at Midsomer Norton with loads of WWII stuff in it.
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