Stratford Armouries facts for kids
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| Established | 2007 |
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| Location | Gospel Oak Lane, Pathlow, Stratford on Avon |
Stratford Armouries is a small museum in Warwickshire, England. It is part of a hotel called the Stratford-upon-Avon Lodge Retreat, near the village of Snitterfield. The museum has three rooms. Each room shows different historical items. You can see things about Winston Churchill, a First World War trench, and parts of a Wellington bomber. There are also items from the famous Pegasus Bridge battle in Normandy during the Second World War. As of August 2021, it is free to visit.
Contents
The Story of Stratford Armouries
How the Museum Started
The Wigington family arrived in Warwickshire around 1750. In the 1800s, James's Great Grandfather Thomas Mabbutt was in charge of a company called Abingdon Gunworks. This company made guns in Birmingham. Over 250 years, the family built a huge private collection of old weapons and armour.
In 2007, a museum was built to show this collection. It was on a large piece of land that used to be an old air force base, RAF Snitterfield. The museum was open to everyone. It had many amazing things to see.
Cool Things from the Old Museum
Some of the most exciting exhibits included:
- A life-sized armoured Indian elephant. The armour was made by Terry English, a famous armour maker who worked on films like the Harry Potter series.
- A cannon from the year 1450.
- A giant crossbow that looked like a design by the famous inventor Leonardo da Vinci.
Changes to the Museum
The first museum found it hard to make enough money. So, in 2015, most of its collection was sold at an auction. The land was then turned into a hotel with cabins, called a lodge retreat.
The current, smaller museum is now in a separate building next to the hotel. It opened again in the spring of 2016. At first, the local planning people did not want the hotel to be built. But after an appeal, it was allowed.
What You Can See at the Museum Today
The museum has four main exhibits spread across three rooms.
Winston Churchill Collection
The biggest room holds a special collection of items belonging to Winston Churchill. He was a very important leader in Britain during the Second World War. This collection was put together by Jack Darrah and his daughter Carol Harwood. It includes things from Churchill's political life and his personal life too. This collection used to be shown at Bletchley Park.
First World War Trench and Bomber
The second room takes you back in time. It has a recreated trench from the First World War. Trenches were long, narrow ditches where soldiers lived and fought. This room also has parts of a Wellington bomber. This was a type of airplane used in the Second World War.
Pegasus Bridge Artefacts
The third and smallest room has items from a very important event in the Second World War. This was the mission to capture the bridge at Bénouville in Normandy, France. This bridge is famously known as the Pegasus Bridge. You can see many interesting things related to the gliders that were used in this daring attack.
