- Thread starter astro_al
- Start date
http://www.internalfire.com/
Is worth a visit if you are in West Wales. The St. Fagans museum outside Cardiff is worth a visit on the way (Cobblers Shop came from my village and was reassembled there)
Don't bother with Swansea Waterfront Muesum, Aberdulais Falls in the Neath Valley is a good but tough walk in an old industrial valley.
Duxford and National Rail Museum are good. +1 for Ponsannooth in Cornwall also the Luxylan? valley but it is a long time since I was there.
Is worth a visit if you are in West Wales. The St. Fagans museum outside Cardiff is worth a visit on the way (Cobblers Shop came from my village and was reassembled there)
Don't bother with Swansea Waterfront Muesum, Aberdulais Falls in the Neath Valley is a good but tough walk in an old industrial valley.
Duxford and National Rail Museum are good. +1 for Ponsannooth in Cornwall also the Luxylan? valley but it is a long time since I was there.
Bolton.
One for the steam enthusiasts, went here a few years ago, it wasn't a steam day just mid week, quite interesting and a few older fellas around that maintain them, we couldn't stop long but they seemed like they liked a chat. They have running days on bank holidays I think.
Some old electrical switch gear in there too, frankenstein switches, panel boards and the like.
Not the biggest museum going but worth a look if you're in the area.
https://www.nmes.org/
One for the steam enthusiasts, went here a few years ago, it wasn't a steam day just mid week, quite interesting and a few older fellas around that maintain them, we couldn't stop long but they seemed like they liked a chat. They have running days on bank holidays I think.
Some old electrical switch gear in there too, frankenstein switches, panel boards and the like.
Not the biggest museum going but worth a look if you're in the area.
https://www.nmes.org/
RWD3M
Forum Supporter
- Messages
- 3,294
- Location
- Wiltshire, UK
I hope this isn't too left field but the Hook Norton Brewery is well worth a visit if you happen to be in the area. It's a Victorian brewery still in it's original building and the last time I went (a long time ago now) they were still using a steam engine to power all the equipment.
www.hooky.co.uk
If you go around July/August time I can highly recommend their seasonal beer Haymaker!
www.hooky.co.uk
If you go around July/August time I can highly recommend their seasonal beer Haymaker!
Ali
Member
- Messages
- 1,826
- Location
- Cheshire
Visited the British Lawnmower Museum in Southport last week (4yr old boy loves them, it was his birthday day out...I’ve wanted to go for ages too). Some interesting stuff there.
Worlds biggest lawnmower (wouldn’t be a proper museum without, would it?):
Every kids dream:
Always fancied one of these:
I wonder whether chainsaw related injuries went down when they became a bit safer (chain brake etc.) or up, because they were perhaps produced in greater numbers and more readily available to Joe Bloggs? Anyway, I love vintage saws:
And some ‘celebrity’ owned machines...
Worlds biggest lawnmower (wouldn’t be a proper museum without, would it?):
Every kids dream:
Always fancied one of these:
I wonder whether chainsaw related injuries went down when they became a bit safer (chain brake etc.) or up, because they were perhaps produced in greater numbers and more readily available to Joe Bloggs? Anyway, I love vintage saws:
And some ‘celebrity’ owned machines...
I'm surprised no one has mentioned amberley working museum yet it has a little bit of everything from road laying cement making through to Wainwright's and transport even a telephone section
Based near Chichester
http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/
Another one maybe slightly different from others is the weald and downland open air museum
It is a collection of houses and buildings from around country but they hold various periodic weekends from farm work to textiles and gardening
They have a working mill working oxen and horses a Tudor kitchen and various periodic gardens growing food and timber framed in various states of construction
Based near Chichester
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/
And finally the London museum of water and steam based At the kewbridge pumping station when they have running weekends the engines are magnificent
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/
Based near Chichester
http://www.amberleymuseum.co.uk/
Another one maybe slightly different from others is the weald and downland open air museum
It is a collection of houses and buildings from around country but they hold various periodic weekends from farm work to textiles and gardening
They have a working mill working oxen and horses a Tudor kitchen and various periodic gardens growing food and timber framed in various states of construction
Based near Chichester
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/
And finally the London museum of water and steam based At the kewbridge pumping station when they have running weekends the engines are magnificent
https://www.wealddown.co.uk/
The_Yellow_Ardvark
https://www.death-clock.org/
- Messages
- 19,830
- Location
- Going Away.
https://www.steam-museum.org.uk/
Good place to visit, cheep parking and the Boss can go shopping near by.
Good place to visit, cheep parking and the Boss can go shopping near by.
Sadly, It's an overpriced shop. expensive café and a weird 'card' system you have to apply for on the door to get in.British Ironwork Centre on the A5 near Oswestry........
Never been but drove past loads of times, looked at the sign and thought - oooh.............and then promptly forgot about it.
http://www.britishironworkcentre.co.uk/
Be interesting to hear if anyone has been and what it's like?
Possibly a bit after-the-fact but a mate and I went to the Anderton Boat Lift open day the other week.
Given that it was an open day we got to go "up-top" (a tad windy and chilly the day before Ciara hit but interesting) but interesting having a nosey at all the double helix cogs (Mr Citroens patent dontcha know - and purely for decoration nowadays). We also got to go down into the dry well below the casons. Was also interesting talking to the lass who is normally one of the "drivers".
Worth keeping an eye out in case they do other open days before the work is completed - I can't imagine that they went ahead with tours on the Sunday given the weather.
You can go any time and have a nosey and there's a visitor centre with shop and cafe and a maze for kids made out of the old counterweights (and the bacon barm was spot-on, not lacking in the dead pig department and not too overpriced). I saw signs for boat rides so presumably they do a run down and back up on normal operating days like the Falkirk Wheel.
Given that it was an open day we got to go "up-top" (a tad windy and chilly the day before Ciara hit but interesting) but interesting having a nosey at all the double helix cogs (Mr Citroens patent dontcha know - and purely for decoration nowadays). We also got to go down into the dry well below the casons. Was also interesting talking to the lass who is normally one of the "drivers".
Worth keeping an eye out in case they do other open days before the work is completed - I can't imagine that they went ahead with tours on the Sunday given the weather.
You can go any time and have a nosey and there's a visitor centre with shop and cafe and a maze for kids made out of the old counterweights (and the bacon barm was spot-on, not lacking in the dead pig department and not too overpriced). I saw signs for boat rides so presumably they do a run down and back up on normal operating days like the Falkirk Wheel.
jinjahbiscuit
Member
- Messages
- 348
Yeah, that's a great museum, I've been a couple of times. There are even things to see in the shopping mall adjacent, many of the buildings are the old engineering sheds and they've left some of the machinery behind.
The_Yellow_Ardvark
https://www.death-clock.org/
- Messages
- 19,830
- Location
- Going Away.
Plus behind the shop and in the service corridors there is a lot more still there.
From signs to machines and tools.
Johnnybravo
Member
- Messages
- 3,615
- Location
- Northiam
Bradford Industrial Museum is an incredible place to visit. Just spent three days up there removing a lathe from the basement. Situated in an Old Mill, it’s got something for everybody. Old school workshops powered by flat belts and overhead shafts. They steam up everything on Wednesdays. Good collection of Jowett cars and Bradford vans. Proper old school blacksmith shop. Textiles and weaving. A proper insight into the history of printing. Well worth a visit
Just got back from a Forge experience half day at the Much Hadham forge museum in Hertfordshire, the museum has a working forge attached that has been going for centuries. Run by blacksmith Rich Maynard my wife bought our son Nick & i a half day with him. He is a first class teacher, skilled blacksmith & nice guy.
Even though i have been poncing about with hot metal since i left school & worked in a school as a technician where i often demoed & taught?? forgework etc I learnt more in a morning from Rich than i had learnt & forgotten in donkeys years. Tools & their uses, techniques & wrinkles on how to work hot metal, forgewelding, it was a real eye opener for the pair of us.
If anyone wants a taster course in smithing i thoroughly recomend him.
Though most of what we did was on the smithy's ancient forge we also got to play with his new 3 phase induction heater, a seriously impressive bit of kit, the speed it got a 14mm square bar up to yellow heat was a revelation.
Both of us came away with some things we had made & the pint in the nearby pub the Bull was good too!
Even though i have been poncing about with hot metal since i left school & worked in a school as a technician where i often demoed & taught?? forgework etc I learnt more in a morning from Rich than i had learnt & forgotten in donkeys years. Tools & their uses, techniques & wrinkles on how to work hot metal, forgewelding, it was a real eye opener for the pair of us.
If anyone wants a taster course in smithing i thoroughly recomend him.
Though most of what we did was on the smithy's ancient forge we also got to play with his new 3 phase induction heater, a seriously impressive bit of kit, the speed it got a 14mm square bar up to yellow heat was a revelation.
Both of us came away with some things we had made & the pint in the nearby pub the Bull was good too!
CaptainPugwash
Member
- Messages
- 100
- Location
- North West England
Woodhorn colliery museum in Northumberland is worthy of the list.
I'll have a think of others.
I'll have a think of others.
Just had a weeks holiday on the Isle of man. Well worth a visit is the Laxey wheel, 72ft diameter & built to pump the nearby mines out in the 19th century, It is stupendous in scale & has just been restored to working condition. They wont use it to pump the mines though as the groundwater is too contaminated with lead & zinc. The associated mines went as far below the surface as Snaefell mountain stands above sea level. There are quite a few old mines that can be seen off the beaten track.
I take it you are referring to Fred Dibnah's place. Leon Pownsey sold up after fleecing every last penny he could out of the place.
Having visited the National waterfront museum in Swansea several times,can thoroughly recommend it for the Welsh side of manufacturing and mining and copper smelting,Swansea being nicknamed Copperopolis,this last visit,around the corner I discovered the recent tram museum,dedicated to the Mumbles tram road.
