Science Museum Swindon
Encyclopedia
The Science Museum at Wroughton, near Swindon
, England, is the large-object store of the Science Museum (London)
. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry
.
airfield in 1979, to be used as a storage facility for the largest objects of the Science Museum. A collection of approximately 26,000 objects are currently kept in six of the hangers, from the first hovercraft to MRI scanners, and computers to (de-activated) nuclear missiles. The store is particularly notable for its extensive collection of vintage aircraft, road transport vehicles, agricultural machinery and industrial collections.
. The press was acquired in 2001 and weighs 140 tonnes. It is the size of two small houses.
Swindon
Swindon is a large town within the borough of Swindon and ceremonial county of Wiltshire, in South West England. It is midway between Bristol, west and Reading, east. London is east...
, England, is the large-object store of the Science Museum (London)
Science Museum (London)
The Science Museum is one of the three major museums on Exhibition Road, South Kensington, London in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry. The museum is a major London tourist attraction....
. It is part of the National Museum of Science and Industry
National Museum of Science and Industry
The National Museum of Science and Industry is a collection of British museums, comprising:* The Science Museum, incorporating the Science Museum Library and the Wellcome collections of the history of medicine at South Kensington in London....
.
Overview
The Science Museum took ownership of the 545 acre former RAF WroughtonRAF Wroughton
RAF Wroughton was a Royal Air Force station located just south of the village of Wroughton, Wiltshire, UK. It is south of the town of Swindon. The station was an operational military installation from the late 1930s through the 70s, during which time it served as host to maintenance units...
airfield in 1979, to be used as a storage facility for the largest objects of the Science Museum. A collection of approximately 26,000 objects are currently kept in six of the hangers, from the first hovercraft to MRI scanners, and computers to (de-activated) nuclear missiles. The store is particularly notable for its extensive collection of vintage aircraft, road transport vehicles, agricultural machinery and industrial collections.
Access
The object collections at Wroughton are not normally open to the public, however "research" visits to see specific objects in store can be booked by application.The Wood Press
The largest object at Wroughton is thought to be the Wood Press, part of the last working printing press in Fleet StreetFleet Street
Fleet Street is a street in central London, United Kingdom, named after the River Fleet, a stream that now flows underground. It was the home of the British press until the 1980s...
. The press was acquired in 2001 and weighs 140 tonnes. It is the size of two small houses.
Science Museum Library and Archives
The site is also home to the Science Museum Library and Archives, which are open to the public by appointment.Selected large objects at Wroughton
- Douglas DC3 aircraft.
- Ford Edsel motor car.
- Boeing 247Boeing 247The Boeing Model 247 was an early United States airliner, considered the first such aircraft to fully incorporate advances such as all-metal semi-monocoque construction, a fully cantilevered wing and retractable landing gear...
aircraft. - Handley Page GugnuncHandley Page Gugnunc|-See also:-Bibliography:* Barnes, C. H. Handley Page Aircraft Since 1907. London: Putnam & Company, Ltd., 1987. ISBN 0-85177-803-8.* Clayton, Donald C. Handley Page, an Aircraft Album. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Ltd., 1969. ISBN 0-7110-0094-8.*...
biplane. - Lockheed ConstellationLockheed ConstellationThe Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
aircraft.
Important printed works in the library and archive
- Charles BabbageCharles BabbageCharles Babbage, FRS was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer...
's notebook. - Barnes Wallace’s plans for the bouncing bombBouncing bombA bouncing bomb is a bomb designed specifically to bounce to a target across water in a calculated manner, in order to avoid obstacles such as torpedo nets, and to allow both the bomb's speed on arrival at the target and the timing of its detonation to be pre-determined...
. - The New Cyclopaedia, or, Universal Dictionary of the Arts and Sciences. (Rees's Cyclopædia)