Great West Way® Travel Magazine | Issue 01

MARVELLOUS MUSEUMS
The Great West Way takes you past some of England’s finest
heritage sites but, tucked away in villages, towns and cities, there are
fascinating finds to make your journey even more rewarding
Words: Robin Glover
Pictured:
The Museum
of English Rural
Life, Reading
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. →
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