Relics from the Great War: The Bovington Tank Museum
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Port
Portland (Weymouth), England, United Kingdom
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
Local Sightseeing,All
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At
$109.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 3¾ hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
The Tank Museum in Bovington houses the world's most comprehensive collection of armored fighting vehicles, from World War I tanks to the latest main battle tank of the British Army -- the Challenger. There are also displays of medals, uniforms and personal articles. With a collection of almost 300 vehicles from 26 countries, the museum enjoys worldwide fame and an international flavor. Exhibits include tanks and armored warfare, scientific and technological developments, and human endeavors on the battlefield.
Tanks were first seen in Dorset in 1916. The War Office required a secluded site on unproductive land to train tank crews heading to France. The Dorset Heath was perfect. In 1919, the tanks came back from France, and hundreds of them covered the land around Bovington, awaiting the attention of the scrap industry. A few were rescued from this fate, and when Rudyard Kipling visited Bovington in 1923, he suggested establishing a Tank Museum, which eventually opened to the public in 1947.