Discover Lyneham: Museum, Church and Local History

Lyneham offers several historical highlights for a stay: the REME Museum, St Michael’s Church and memorials connected with the former use of the RAF site. The area of the Parish of Lyneham and Bradenstoke also has walking and riding trails, as well as Bradenstoke Abbey within the wider parish area. If you are looking for a hotel, choosing between the museum, church, memorials and trails can give your stay a clear theme.

REME Museum: Technology and History

The REME Museum presents the history of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. Its collection includes historic repair and recovery vehicles. Interactive and immersive exhibitions complement the displays. Visitors can explore the history of the engineering corps through both historic technology and a range of exhibition formats. The Lyneham Memorial Garden is on the museum grounds. The museum offers public tours of its reserve collection throughout the year; check the specific dates before your trip.

Getting to the Museum

The REME Museum uses the same access road as MOD Lyneham, via the main gate on the A3102. The MOD Lyneham Main Gate bus stop on the A3102 is less than 350 metres from the museum entrance. If you plan to travel by bus, check the timetable before setting off, as schedules may change.

St Michael’s Church and Its Building Phases

St Michael’s Church is an Anglican parish church and also a chapel for an RAF base. Its fabric dates from the 14th and 15th centuries. The chancel, designed by William Butterfield, was built between 1862 and 1865. The furnishings also reflect different periods: the church has a 15th-century chancel screen and a carved Jacobean screen beneath the tower arch. The older fabric, the later-designed chancel and these furnishings give the church several historical points of interest.

Remembrance and Airfield History

The Garden of Remembrance at the former RAF Lyneham base was created to commemorate people who lost their lives in service. Its design features embankments planted with wildflowers, sandbags and three Wiltshire stones in the colours of the three armed services.

During the Second World War, the duties of Lyneham Airfield included flight training, aircraft ferrying, and transport and maintenance services. These activities show the range of the airfield’s role at the time: alongside training, aircraft transport and technical services also played a part. They form a distinct historical focus alongside the history of the REME Corps.

Trails and Bradenstoke Abbey

Walking and riding trails in the Parish of Lyneham and Bradenstoke are open to everyone year-round. The remains of nearby Bradenstoke Abbey are on private land and are not open to the public. However, you can see the tower from nearby footpaths. This means you can consider the trails in the wider parish area and views of the abbey tower as separate aspects of a stay, without planning a visit to the abbey remains.

Discover more destinations: Pewsey, Castle Combe, Ogbourne St George, Devizes, Alderbury, Colerne, Tytherton Lucas, Beanacre

For the wider travel overview: Wiltshire.