Old Bomb Stores

You'll find these wartime structures tucked away near Newbury, remnants of when this corner of West Berkshire was swallowing up munitions at a serious pace. The Old Bomb Stores are exactly what they sound like - concrete buildings and defensive earthworks that once kept explosive ordnance secure during the Second World War. They're scattered across a site that tells you something proper about how the war infrastructure carved itself into the English countryside.

It's not a grand visitor centre with costumed interpreters. Instead, you're looking at the real thing - blocky, austere architecture that served a deadly purpose. History buffs will find it genuinely interesting; anyone fascinated by WWII industrial sites will feel the weight of it. Families with younger kids might find half an hour enough, but if you've got teenagers who care about that period, it's worth a proper look around.

Access and timings aren't widely advertised, so check locally before heading out - this isn't a polished tourist attraction. It works brilliantly as a stop-off if you're camping at Cherry Bird Country Park just down the road, or based at any of the sites around Newbury like Bishops Green Farm Campsite. Pair it with a walk through the surrounding countryside - the landscape itself tells the story of how war bent this bit of England to its needs.