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In the south west of England, close to the city of Swindon, the triangular runway pattern of a former wartime airfield lies now mostly obscured by agricultural use and a large array of solar panels.
Around the site are a number of surviving wartime aircraft hangars, but this is not unusual in a landscape where countless former military airfields can still be seen with similar infrastructure still in place.
However, at this airfield these hangars house a hidden collection of some of the most important preserved aircraft in Europe.
The National Collections Centre
Aerial view of the National Collections Centre site. Photo (c) Science Museums Group
RAF Wroughton was opened in April 1940 to a familiar layout as seen across the country during World War II. The airfield was used for aircraft assembly and storage, as well as a test pilots school and gliding school.
In 1972 it became a storage centre for the Royal Navy, and the site also housed the military hospital known as Princess Alexandra’s.
However, in 1979 Wroughton also became home to the Science Museum’s Large Object Store. This saw many of the larger items in the Science Museum Group’s collection, ranging from tractors and steam trains to motor cars, hovercraft and historic airliners.
The Science Museum sites in London, York, Manchester and elsewhere all display many of the hundreds of thousands of important objects in the collection, but full-scale airlines and other vehicles are simply too large to fit in these small sites.
However, as historic and often iconic objects, they are too important to get rid of.
This is the role of the store here at Wroughton, as well as housing the Science Museum Library and Archives.
What is in the Collection?
Douglas DC-3 at Wroughton
The UK’s only resident Lockheed Constellation airliner.
The Science Museum’s collection at Wroughton, which is now known as the National Collections Centre, houses some 300,000 objects across the 545 acre site.
As mentioned, these include large objects like cars, trucks, tractors, hovercraft, motorcycles, printing presses, trains, TV props, buses and large machinery.
Of most interest is the collection of aircraft. Among these are many types from around the world and a collection of large, intact airliners. These include:
- Lockheed L-749 Constellation (G-CONI, marked N7777G)
- Hawker Siddeley HS.121 Trident 3B (G-AWZM)
- De Havilland Comet 4B (G-APYD)
- De Havilland DH.104 Devon (VP975)
- De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide (G-ACIT)
- Douglas DC-3 (EI-AYO)
- Boeing 247 (N18E)
These are in addition to some smaller airliners and cockpit sections.
How to Visit the Collection
de Havilland Dragon Rapide “Star of Scotia”
In the past, open days were arrange regularly to allow the public to visit the hangars containing these aircraft and other objects.
However, this stopped and access was only available with prior permission, which was often difficult to arrange. You would need a reason to visit, such as for research purposes.
This has caused some consternation among enthusiasts and those who think our heritage should be on display and not locked behind closed doors.
Health and safety concerns were cited as reasons for not allowing the public into the hangars containing the larger exhibits any more.
In 2021 a purpose-built new facility known as the Hawking Building was opened. Its purpose is to allow better access to the public to the collection (although only part of the collection is displayed in there, and none of the airliners are understood to be displayed).
To find out more and book a tour of this facility, visit this link: https://www.scienceinnovationpark.org.uk/visit-us/public-guided-tours
Whether the larger aircraft like the Trident, Comet and Constellation will be moved into a display area capable of allowing public visits is still uncertain.
My Own Visit
Two Comet airliners at Wroughton
Around ten years ago I was lucky enough to be granted access to the Wroughton store. I was working on restoration of a Hawker Siddeley Trident aircraft, as well as researching a book on the aircraft, and so was granted access to see the collection of large airliners.
It was an incredible place, and the aircraft were in excellent condition despite not being regularly accessed.
It was amazing to see Britain’s only resident Constellation aircraft, and one of the only surviving Boeing 247s anywhere in the world… the 247 was an early metal airliner, slightly pre-dating the Douglas DC-3.
Incredibly rare Boeing 247 at Wroughton. Photo (c) Mike Cattell
de Havilland Devon
I hope these aircraft do find greater exposure to the general public in the future so that aviation enthusiasts and those who appreciate their place in our history can enjoy them.
Have you ever visited the National Collections Centre in Wroughton? Did you get to see the large aircraft? Leave a comment below!
