14 replies to this topic

[duby]

hi all
need your advice as i am planning a trip to England .
mostly looking for motorsport museums - any ideas ? but also like to go to some book shops as well...

thanks

[quintin cloud]

Duby one musmeum that I have heard that is quiet good one is the Donington park car museum and the Hanes car museum (the guys who write repair manauls are car and bikes)

PS. sorry if there are spelling mistakes

[David McKinney]

The Donington Collection is a must
In addition to the Haynes Museum there's also the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu (near Southampton) and various others. Depends on your specific area of interest

Best London bookshops are Chaters and Motor Books. Foyles is a general bookshop but also has a very good motoring section. Non-London emporia include Collectors Carbooks at Silverstone

[Eric McLoughlin]

Definitely the Donnington Collection at Castle Donington is a MUST SEE. This is the largest collection of F1 cars gathered in one spot in the world. As well as the cars there are various other artefacts associated with famous cars, teams and drivers on display.

Beaulieu is also excellent - with more of an emphasis on "ordinary motoring" but is does usually have a small number of racing cars on display. The best element of the museum is the collection of land speed record cars.

I've never been to the Haynes Museum, which is in Sparkford in Somerset. Another museum probably worth visiting (although I have never been there either) is the Heritage Collection at Gaydon.

Finally, the Brooklands Museum at Weybridge in Surrey is also good with some "modern" F1 machinery on display together with restored pre-war Brooklands racers. There is the added bonus of their nice aeroplane collection including the famous Vickers Wellington bomber "R Robert" which was dredged up from the bottom of Loch Ness and restored.

[Catalina Park]

When I was in the UK two years ago I went to...
National Motor Museum at Beaulieu.
The Heritage Collection at Gaydon.
The Donnington Collection.
The Jim Clark room.
The airshow and air museum at Duxford.
We also tried Brooklands but it was closed on Tuesdays.

Look them up on the net and take your pick!

[Vitesse2]

If you're heading west (Haynes Museum country), then also consider the Bugatti Museum at Prescott and maybe even the museum at Pendine in Wales, which is the summer home of "Babs", the LSR car.

Prescott would be a short diversion off the M5 if you were travelling from Sparkford to Gaydon .....

[Peter Morley]

Coventry museum of transport is apparently good as well - several interesting F1 items have come out of there (Climax show engines, and possibly a Brabham BT49), but I've not been there yet to know what it is really like.
www.transport-museum.com

Donington is essential for any racing enthusiast.

National motor museum, Beaulieu is good as well.

Brooklands is worth visiting, but sad to see how yet another supermarket is deemed to be more important than the first permanent race track.

Jim Clark museum should be every racer's pilgrimage.

Gaydon is worth going to if you are in the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way (unless you are a big fan of road cars) - Coventry might be similar.

Prescott hillclimb/Bugatti trust is worth a visit especially if there is an event on at the same time - the annual garden party is great fun.

Of course any of the big historic race meetings offer far more than any of these museums (except Donington).

I did find a listing of all(?) the UK museums, it is pretty extensive!

http://www.classicmo...ums/museums.htm

[duby]

just want to thank every bodu for the quick help

[Dave Wright]

Less than an hour away from Donington is Pooks Books - the largest second hand motoring bookshop I've come across in the UK. I could spend at least half a day looking through their staggering stock of items

Pooks Motor Bookshop
Fowke Street
Rothley
Leics
LE7 7PJ
Tel: 0116 2376222
Fax: 0116 2376491

[MrAerodynamicist]

I'd have to echo the Brookland's recommendations. In terms of cars it's not got a massive collection but the sense of the place when you go and stand on the otherwise deserted track...

[David Beard]

Originally posted by Dave Wright
Less than an hour away from Donington is Pooks Books - the largest second hand motoring bookshop I've come across in the UK. I could spend at least half a day looking through their staggering stock of items

Pooks Motor Bookshop
Fowke Street
Rothley
Leics
LE7 7PJ
Tel: 0116 2376222
Fax: 0116 2376491

Only about 20 minutes away, actually. Very good for old programmes and magazines. Was there the other day and went for a great lunch at nearby pub called the Woodman's Axe or something.

Careful though..they once promised they would open specially for me on a Saturday morning , but nobody was there, nor did anyone answer the phone number I was given.

[Gary Davies]

Originally posted by David Beard


Only about 20 minutes away, actually. Very good for old programmes and magazines. Was there the other day and went for a great lunch at nearby pub called the Woodman's Axe or something.

Careful though..they once promised they would open specially for me on a Saturday morning , but nobody was there, nor did anyone answer the phone number I was given.

Bounders! Must be Socialist riff-raff!

[A_S]

If your interest is wider, the national motorbike museem, oposite birmingham airport, and the national exhibition centre is well worth a visit, however i dont know the current situation after the fire last year, i think its back up and running though.

[Fred Gallagher]

Pooks did stay open for me on Saturday 17th April which was nice. Chaotic but some good finds.

Agree totally that Chaters, Motor Books and Connoiseur Carbooks are all excellent. Went into Foyles last week, though, to find it is a shadow of its former self motoring wise.

[petefenelon]

Originally posted by Fred Gallagher
Pooks did stay open for me on Saturday 17th April which was nice. Chaotic but some good finds.

Agree totally that Chaters, Motor Books and Connoiseur Carbooks are all excellent. Went into Foyles last week, though, to find it is a shadow of its former self motoring wise.

Since 'transport' moved into the far corner there seem to be a lot more contemporary motoring books, and a lot less motorsport and (motoring and motorsport) history. Also, a lot of the 'old stock' seems to have gone. Still one of the better places in the UK to find French or Italian books of TNF interest, if that kind of thing floats your boat.

Personally I really enjoy the atmosphere Motor Books a lot these days, the two Aussies who always seem to be working there really do know their stuff and add a certain Black Books (the comedy series, not the Sheldon tomes) atmosphere to the place.