Science and Innovation Park / National Collections Center Wroughton

The Science and Innovation Park Wroughton, located near Swindon, England, is a 545-acre multi-purpose site that was formerly an airfield.

The site retains original airfield infrastructure, including hangars, runways, and storage facilities that date back to its time as an operational RAF base. Some of these buildings have been repurposed for scientific research and exhibitions, while others remain as historical landmarks.

At the heart of the park is the National Collections Centre, which houses over 300,000 objects from the Science Museum Group Collection. The center holds 105 boxes of Barnes Wallis’s papers, covering airship designs, the bouncing bomb, deep penetration bombs, geodetic aircraft construction, swing-wing concepts, and hypersonic designs, along with photographs, calculations, and correspondence.

Among the notable items stored here are historic aircraft, including a Douglas DC-3, a de Havilland Comet 4B, and a Lockheed Constellation, which played roles in military aviation during and after the war. The collection also features early radar equipment, which was crucial to Britain's air defense strategy during WWII.

Additionally, the site preserves wartime vehicles, including early 20th-century electric vehicles and a double-decker bus used during the war. The facility also houses archival materials related to wartime scientific advancements, including aviation technology and military communications.

For current visiting hours, please visit the website of the museum.

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Source

• Text: TracesofWar
• Photos: Brian Robert Marshall