There are over 300 tanks at the Tank Museum in Dorset making it not just the largest museum dedicated to tanks, but the largest collection of tanks in the world.
So you know even before you visit, that you’re going to see an awful lot of tanks. I’d been warned to allow a whole day. Fortunately they have a very nice cafe so it was easy to take a couple of breaks. I even got to try to my first piece of Dorset Apple Cake in the cafe here.
We got there just as it opened. As the car park was pretty empty I got to park my little van next to this …
… now that doesn’t happen in Tesco!
The inside is like a massive hanger with several smaller hangers. As to be expected, there are tanks everywhere. All kinds of tanks. All sizes of tanks.
There are plenty of information boards explaining the technical bits about each tank as well as info about where they’ve seen service.
There was also lots of information about different conflicts over the years and from around the world.
For example, there was information on T E Lawrence (aka Lawrence of Arabia). He was stationed nearby and had a little house (long before tiny houses became a thing) called Clouds Hill just down the road from the base. This house is now owned by the National Trust and is well worth a visit.
The information about him in the the Tank Museum was all about his time spent in the Middle East during the First World War. He used Rolls-Royce armoured cars in the desert to gather intel that was used to carry out raids into enemy territory. In his book about his time there, ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, he says, “A Rolls in the Desert was above rubies”.
Of course, what most people are here for though, is the tanks.
There are big tanks …
… there are tiny tanks …
… there are even covered-up tanks. I don’t actually remember why this one was like this.
Did you know one of the earliest designs (if not the earliest) for a tank was created by Leonardo da Vinci? They’ve got a model of his design in the Tank Museum. Apart from being a bit more spherical than its modern-day counterparts, it really doesn’t look that different. He came up with the idea in the 1480s. It was designed to move in any direction whilst its canons provided cover and supporting fire.
With some of the tanks, it’s possible to see inside to their inner workings. And a few you can actually get inside and pretend to drive.
At certain times during the day a selection of tanks are taken out to play. There’s a running commentary and background music as they circumnavigate a track.
It was such a beautiful day everyone came out to sit on the grassy viewing area, some having picnics.
Here’s a short video I took of the display.
When the display finishes, the tanks are parked to the side so you can go and get a close look at them and ask questions.
A separate building to the side of the display area houses the tank graveyard. Don’t miss this! It was quite something to see so many old tanks crammed in together. They’re all here awaiting restoration, so maybe one day they’ll be resurrected and get a new home in the main hall.
Besides all things tank, in the museum, there are also mock-ups of offices, shelters, houses, trenches and so on.
All in all, the Tank Museum was a fascinating and very full day out. I’m not a tank-nut or military nerd by any means, but I still found it really interesting. I think I’ve seen enough tanks to last me a while now though. However, I did find one that I wanted to take home with me. I might not have gone quite so far as to trade my van in for it but it was tempting.
The Tank Museum is in Bovington in Dorset. You can get more details about visiting from their website which you can find here.
Books to read that are relevant to your visit:
- The Seven Pillars of Wisdom by T E Lawrence
- Lawrence of Arabia’s Clouds Hill by Dr Andrew Norman
So do you think the Tank Museum is somewhere you’d be interested in visiting? Have you ever been inside a tank? And can you recommend any similar museums? Share your thoughts and recommendations in the comments below.
Like this? Read these next:
Pin it for later
Share this:
