Marvellous Museums

Words: Robin Glover

Travellers along the Great West Way, whether driving, cycling, boating or walking, will be granted many opportunities to visit sites of national and international importance.

The world is well aware of magnificent Windsor Castle, majestic Salisbury Cathedral, mystical Stonehenge and the Roman Baths in Georgian Bath – and each demands a visit – but may overlook the less well-known.

We British are not just a nation of hoarders and collectors anxious to justify the odd fancy, whether it be dolls or aeroplanes, but are also proud of local heritage and keen to put our history on display. Keep a look out for these attractions and prepare to be amazed.

Before leaving behind the Thames-side delights of Henry VIII’s Hampton Court, historic Runnymede, notorious Cliveden and Royal Windsor, seek out the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum, unassuming but full of interesting exhibits illustrating the thousands of years of the settlement’s existence and royal patronage.

By contrast, just a few minutes away, at Eton Wick, is an absorbing, privately-owned collection of civilian and military motor vehicles and militaria, The History on Wheels Museum.

As a bonus, there’s also an all-encompassing exhibition of Princess Diana memorabilia, painstakingly assembled and, reputedly, second only to the Althorp collection.

The Museum of English Rural Life, Reading

Head a little further upstream and you will come to the Maidenhead Heritage Centre where you can both trace the two thousand years of the town’s history and, unforgettably for enthusiasts of all ages, ‘fly’ in a WWII Spitfire simulator. Although in a less rural setting, the town of Reading has many visitor attractions. Reading Museum, is full of fascinating regional history and artefacts, a 70-metre long, woven replica of the famous Bayeux Tapestry and the Huntley & Palmer exhibition, reflecting on the 150 years of local biscuit manufacture. The Museum of English Rural Life is where agriculture, through the ages, is brilliantly brought to life with interactive exhibits as well as comprehensive displays of implements, machinery and vehicles, and the new Abbey Galleries are a great introduction to exploring the ruins of Reading Abbey and finding out more about Henry I, England’s last ‘unfound’ king. We think there really is ‘something for everyone, of all ages’ in our selection so far, but there are even more, large and small, to consider. In Newbury is the West Berkshire Museum, a treasure trove of information and exhibits illustrating the origins of the county and its people. By contrast, just a few miles further west, in Wiltshire, is a pair of remarkable survivors from the early days of the Industrial Revolution. The Crofton Beam Engines were built over 200 years ago to maintain waterlevels in the nearby Kennet & Avon Canal and, amazingly, those great steam engines are still in working order, doing the job for which they were designed!

Crofton Beam Engines, with the oldest working steam engines in the world

Negotiating the pretty lanes of the Vale of Pewsey brings the happy traveller to Devizes, home of the independent craft brewers, Wadworth Brewery, and of the county’s Wiltshire Museum, telling the 500,000 years story of the county through its award-winning galleries, exhibits, high-quality graphics and striking reconstructions. In order to maximise their enjoyment, visitors en route to such prehistoric sites as Avebury and Stonehenge are urged to visit this museum first.

And in Wiltshire’s county town, one museum to watch for the future is the Trowbridge Museum, offering insight into the rich textile related heritage in the heart of the town. Currently the museum is undergoing a fantastic multi-million pound expansion, which will see the museum double in size for its 2020 re-opening!

Moving forward in time, the history of 19th and 20th century steam railways is retold at STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway and, if historic aeroplanes are a ‘must-see’ for you or your children, you need look no further than the Boscombe Down Aviation Collection at Old Sarum, Salisbury, where cockpits are mostly open and you can sit in and use the controls. Since its formation in 1942, the Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers has been the driving-force of the British Army and the inspiring story of the unit is told at the REME Museum through their collections of armoured vehicles and weaponry and child-friendly interactive displays.

STEAM - Museum of the Great Western Railway

STEAM Museum pattern shop

When you reach Bristol, be prepared for even more, as Aerospace Bristol houses an awesome collection of aeroplanes and space vehicles spanning the centuries, including the last Concorde to be built and to fly.

While in Bristol don’t miss We The Curious on Bristol’s harbourside, with all sorts of different experiences and exhibits for you to interact with, and experiments you can take part in.

We The Curious, Bristol

Our next ports-of-call are altogether more restful, starting at the charming Georgian town of Chippenham, where we are pleased to recommend the Chippenham Museum & Heritage Centre, set in an immaculate 18th century townhouse and relating the story of the town’s development since the prehistoric era. On the way to the nearby market town of Corsham, a small detour will bring you to the picture-perfect village of Lacock, and National Trust’s Lacock Abbey, Fox Talbot Museum and Village.

Here, in 1835, William Fox Talbot created the world’s first photographic negative and it is only proper that the Museum of Photography is established here.

Pretty Corsham offers two museum ‘treats’, a moving historical experience in the original 17th century Corsham Schoolroom and Almshouse and The Pound Arts Centre, a North Wiltshire hub for the performing and visual arts.

The City of Bath, in its entirety, has been awarded UNESCO World Heritage status and this modest feature cannot do it full justice. Explore it for yourself, at leisure, and marvel at the splendour and grace of its Georgian beauty. Impressive museums and exhibitions include the imaginative recreations at No. 1 Royal Crescent and the Jane Austen Centre and the superb collection of fine and decorative arts to be viewed at the Grade I listed The Holburne Museum.

Jane Austen Centre, Bath