British Motor Museum trip - what else to visit?

[colin79666]

Planning a trip to the British Motor Museum in Gaydon next week. It is a 6 hour drive (from SE Scotland) so going to book a hotel and make a short holiday of it. As it is quite a distance I’m keen to visit other attractions in the same trip, I can extend the hotel stay another night.

Some options I’ve spotted are:
Midland Air Museum, perhaps on the way down
Silverstone Museum Experience, perhaps on the way back up
Bletchley Park, not sure how long I’d need to allow for that

Any other suggestions? It is January so indoor attractions are probably best, preferably involving combustion engines

Also is A1/M1 or M74/M6 the better bet?

[GT3cs]

Check if Bicester Sunday scramble is on , around your dates . Great car meet . Caffeine and machine worth calling in for a brew , although will be quiet this time of year

[Squadrone Rosso]

Coventry Transport Museum is brilliant, better that Gaydon even.

[A993LAD]

National motorcycle museum is less than 30 miles from Gaydon. Very impressive collection if you have any interest in 2 wheelers.

[williamp]

If you leave it a few weeks, theres the autosport show at the nec. A few more weeks, rate retro at stoneleigh.

Coventry has a huge automotive badkground, but there isnt mush of it left. But the coventry car museum is great.

The cotswold motor museu isnt foo far away, but closed until feb half term.

You could also pop over to newport pagnell and see Aston, but its harder and harder to see stuff unannounced these days.

[colin79666]

Thanks all. Coventry Transport museum looks great, will aim to visit on the way down if too wet for the aircraft museum or on the way back up if not. Read some mixed reviews about Silverstone so will probably give that a miss.

More interested in 4 wheels and 2 but won’t rule out the motorcycle museum. I’m sure I saw Henry Cole there on one of this programs.

Suspect timings might not work for Caffeine and Machine but if they do will pop along.

Hotel booked now but it doesn’t rule out another trip later on when more things are on/open

[DavePanda]

GT3cs said:

Check if Bicester Sunday scramble is on , around your dates . Great car meet . Caffeine and machine worth calling in for a brew , although will be quiet this time of year

If it was it would be sold out weeks ago

[Gareth1974]

The RAF museum at Cosford is a lot better than the Midland Air Museum, although it would require a small diversion.

[Riley Blue]

Depending on route there's the Newark Air Museum just off the A1: http://www.newarkairmuseum.org

[ARHarh]

Gareth1974 said:

The RAF museum at Cosford is a lot better than the Midland Air Museum, although it would require a small diversion.

And its free entry.

[blueST]

CheesecakeRunner said:

The factory tours at Jaguar and Land Rover are quite interesting

https://www.jaguar.co.uk/experience-jaguar/factory...
https://experience.landrover.co.uk/solihull/factor...

I’ve done the classic workshop tour, that was pretty good.

[colin79666]

CheesecakeRunner said:

The factory tours at Jaguar and Land Rover are quite interesting

https://www.jaguar.co.uk/experience-jaguar/factory...
https://experience.landrover.co.uk/solihull/factor...

Nothing available this week unfortunately

RAF Cosford looks good, a bit off the planned route but if I get on the road early enough it might be doable.

[Montythedog]

What about the F1 museum next to Donnington race track.

[ecsrobin]

Montythedog said:

What about the F1 museum next to Donnington race track.

Closed over 4 years ago.

RAF Cosford is great.

I recently did Bletchley after a Pistonheads Sunday Service and after 4-5hrs there I’m looking to go back as I feel I skimmed the surface of learning more about the code breaking.

[PositronicRay]

Echo Coventry motor museum, very good. You mention Bletchley Park, well worth a visit, allow 1\2 a day.

[Montythedog]

ecsrobin said:

Montythedog said:

What about the F1 museum next to Donnington race track.

Closed over 4 years ago.

RAF Cosford is great.

I recently did Bletchley after a Pistonheads Sunday Service and after 4-5hrs there I’m looking to go back as I feel I skimmed the surface of learning more about the code breaking.

Did it, didn’t know that one at all, we live quite close as well. I went about 10 years ago

[ecsrobin]

Montythedog said:

Did it, didn’t know that one at all, we live quite close as well. I went about 10 years ago

https://www.autosport.com/historics/news/donington-collection-museum-to-close-next-month-5289869/5289869/amp/

[Montythedog]

ecsrobin said:

Montythedog said:

Did it, didn’t know that one at all, we live quite close as well. I went about 10 years ago

https://www.autosport.com/historics/news/donington-collection-museum-to-close-next-month-5289869/5289869/amp/

Thanks. I’ve just been reading about it. Never knew it shut despite it being 20 mins away. Finger on the pulse there eh ……..

Edited by Montythedog on Monday 2nd January 13:15

[ecsrobin]

Montythedog said:

Thanks. I’ve just been reading about it. Never knew despite it being 20 mins away. Finger on the pulse there eh ……..

Probably why it closed

[Montythedog]

ecsrobin said:

Probably why it closed

Well I went probably twice once about 10 years ago and then sometime in the 80’s. Interesting to look at but once you’ve been well that’s it I suppose for a few years again.