de Havilland DH.88 Comet

The de Havilland DH.88 Comet sits in a gallery dedicated to one of Britain's most elegant racing aircraft. Built in the 1930s, this twin-engine monoplane was a genuine speed machine - the sort of thing that caught the imagination of aviation enthusiasts and remains genuinely impressive to look at today. The sleek fuselage, those purposeful lines, the exposed mechanics: it's beautiful engineering from an era when aircraft design still looked like craft rather than industrial accident.

You'll find it near St Albans in Hertfordshire, and it's the sort of stop that works brilliantly if you're already in the area rather than something you'd specifically plan a day around. Aviation buffs will spend a solid hour here, studying the construction and reading about its racing history. Kids who are into planes will find it worth the visit, though younger children might lose interest fairly quickly - it's one aircraft in a gallery space, not an interactive flight simulator. Adults without particular interest in aeronautics could do it in twenty minutes, see what's what, and move on.

If you're based at one of the local parks - Cherry Green Trees is closest at just over a mile away - it makes for a decent rainy day diversion or a morning activity before heading elsewhere. The St Albans area has plenty to occupy a week, so this slots in rather than anchors your itinerary. Worth knowing that opening hours and admission prices aren't widely advertised online, so ring ahead before you go. Don't expect queues or crowds; expect instead a proper piece of aviation history, well-presented and genuinely interesting if you care about how planes used to be built.