Historic Helicopters

You won't find many museums where you can walk right up to a Westland Wasp or peer into the cockpit of a genuine military helicopter. Historic Helicopters, just outside Crewkerne, is exactly that kind of place - a proper collection of aircraft that actually flew, not polished replicas gathering dust.

The museum holds a decent spread of British and international helicopters spanning several decades. You're looking at machines that did real work: rescue choppers, military transports, training aircraft. The detail is what gets you - the worn panels, the serious engineering, the sheer size of some of these things when you're standing next to them. It's the sort of place where you can spend a focused couple of hours if you're genuinely interested, though helicopter enthusiasts could easily stretch that to half a day.

Families with kids who've moved past the "are we there yet" phase will find it engaging enough, though younger children might lose interest once they've climbed in and out of a fuselage or two. The real draw is for aviation buffs and anyone curious about how Britain's armed forces actually operated in the latter half of the 20th century.

Both Wytch Wood Camping and Esme's Escape are close by, making this an easy add-on to a longer Somerset trip. Neither are long drives away, so you could visit in the afternoon without eating into a full day elsewhere. Check ahead for opening hours and admission costs before you visit - details change seasonally.