The area around Whittlesford has a wide variety of places to visit for a day out. These are a few that can be found within about 15 miles of the village.
Imperial War Museum - Duxford
Tel: (01223) 835000
Duxford has one of the finest collections of military vehicles including tanks aircraft and naval exhibits in the country. It is without doubt Europe’s premier aviation museum. This famous heritage site has ahd a long and distinguished career. The Royal Flying Corps (RFC) moved into the uncompleted site during Februaury 1918 and the airfield was then in service, to the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the United States Air Force (USAAF) for 43 years, until 31st March 1961.
The American Air Museum built on the site stands as a memorial to the 30,000 American airmen who gave their lives during World War II (WW2)
AirSpace is the new £25 million covered exhibition of British and Commonwealth aviation featuring such great aircraft as the Anson, Buccaneer, Spitfire and the Vulcan.
The Land Warfare Hall takes visitors on a journey, through realistic tableaux, from the Great War to the Gulf War. The building houses the bulk of the museum’s collection of military vehicles.
Newmarket Racecourses
Tel: (0844) 579 3010
The historic home of horseracing, Newmarket almost lives and breathes the ‘Sport of Kings’ with two racecourses, and more racehorses, trainers, stable staff, stud farms and racing organisations based here or nearby, than anywhere else on the planet.
The town as we know it today dates back to the 1200’s when Sir Richard de Argentein was granted a charter to create a ‘new market’ by the king.
The first (recorded) race to be run at Newmarket was a match between a horse belonging to Lord Salisbury and a horse beloning to the Marquis of Buckingham, in March 1622. Today the Newmarket racecourse has two courses – the Rowley Mile Course and the July Course. Both are wide, galloping tracks used for flat races only.
Oh, by the way, Buckingham’s horse won, securing a prize worth £100, which was an enormous sum at the time.
