Shoreham Aircraft Museum
Encyclopedia
The Shoreham Aircraft Museum is located in the village of Shoreham
near Sevenoaks
in Kent
, England
on the south-east edge of Greater London
. It was founded by volunteers in 1978 and is dedicated to the airmen who fought in the skies over southern England
during World War II
.
The museum houses aviation
relics excavated by the Shoreham Aircraft Preservation Society over 30 years. These relics come from crashed RAF
and Luftwaffe
aircraft and are displayed alongside personal accounts of those involved. A particular focus is the Battle of Britain
period.
Many aircraft types are represented in the collection, including recovered engine examples from the following:
The museum has collections of flying helmets, uniforms, insignia and Home Front
memorabilia, along with photos and other items which have been donated by ex-pilots and private individuals. The museum also holds a collection of original paintings and prints by aviation artist Geoff Nutkins
. Other examples of his work can be seen at the RAF College, Cranwell, the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon and The RAF Club, Piccadilly, London.
There is also a fine tearoom and garden serving cream teas and homemade cakes. The museum is open from 10am to 5pm on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter until the end of October each year. The tearoom and garden only is also open on Saturdays and is free to enter.
Admission price to the museum this season is £3.00 and all current and ex military service personnel can enter free of charge.
Shoreham, Kent
Shoreham is a village and civil parish in the valley of the River Darent six miles north of Sevenoaks in Kent: it is in the District of Sevenoaks. The parish includes the settlements of Badgers Mount and Well Hill....
near Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
in Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
on the south-east edge of Greater London
Greater London
Greater London is the top-level administrative division of England covering London. It was created in 1965 and spans the City of London, including Middle Temple and Inner Temple, and the 32 London boroughs. This territory is coterminate with the London Government Office Region and the London...
. It was founded by volunteers in 1978 and is dedicated to the airmen who fought in the skies over southern England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The museum houses aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
relics excavated by the Shoreham Aircraft Preservation Society over 30 years. These relics come from crashed RAF
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
and Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
aircraft and are displayed alongside personal accounts of those involved. A particular focus is the Battle of Britain
Battle of Britain
The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II air campaign waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during the summer and autumn of 1940...
period.
Many aircraft types are represented in the collection, including recovered engine examples from the following:
- Supermarine SpitfireSupermarine SpitfireThe Supermarine Spitfire is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was used by the Royal Air Force and many other Allied countries throughout the Second World War. The Spitfire continued to be used as a front line fighter and in secondary roles into the 1950s...
- Hawker HurricaneHawker HurricaneThe Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
- Me109
- Dornier 17
- Fw 190
- Junkers 88
The museum has collections of flying helmets, uniforms, insignia and Home Front
Home front
Home front is the informal term commonly used to describe the civilian populace of the nation at war as an active support system of their military....
memorabilia, along with photos and other items which have been donated by ex-pilots and private individuals. The museum also holds a collection of original paintings and prints by aviation artist Geoff Nutkins
Geoff Nutkins
Geoff Nutkins is a British aviation artist, working in gouache and pencil. He has been painting for over 20 years.Geoff's works focus on World War II, and in particular the Battle of Britain period. A number of his works feature the Supermarine Spitfire, Hawker Hurricane and Me109, but they...
. Other examples of his work can be seen at the RAF College, Cranwell, the Royal Air Force Museum, Hendon and The RAF Club, Piccadilly, London.
There is also a fine tearoom and garden serving cream teas and homemade cakes. The museum is open from 10am to 5pm on Sundays and Bank Holiday Mondays from Easter until the end of October each year. The tearoom and garden only is also open on Saturdays and is free to enter.
Admission price to the museum this season is £3.00 and all current and ex military service personnel can enter free of charge.