Bristol Britannia 175, XM496

You're standing in front of a retired Hawker Siddeley Britannia - a proper transport aircraft that once carried troops and cargo across the globe. This is XM496, now permanently grounded near Malmesbury as a museum piece that lets you clamber inside and see what long-haul flying looked like in the 1960s and 70s.

The fuselage still smells faintly of aviation fuel and decades of duty. Walk through the narrow cabin, peek into the flight deck, and you get a real sense of how cramped life was for crews on twelve-hour stretches. The aircraft is presented largely as-is rather than as a polished visitor attraction, which is actually brilliant if you're after authenticity over theatre.

History buffs and aviation enthusiasts will properly enjoy this. Children under eight might find it a bit dull - there's no interactive stuff, just the physical plane itself. Anyone who flew back when flying meant actually dressing up will find it nostalgic. Allow 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how much you want to read about the Britannia's service record.

It's free entry as far as we can tell, though opening hours aren't widely advertised - best ringing ahead before making the trip out from Malmesbury. Given the caravan parks dotted around Cirencester and Malmesbury, this works as a decent morning excursion if you're already camping locally. It's not worth a special detour on its own, but paired with the Cotswolds countryside and the nearby parks like Tobacconist Farm or Hoburne Cotswold, it slots in nicely.