Detour Pit Stop #118: Aston Martin Museum, Wallingford, UK
Photo Aston Martin Heritage Trust
Tucked away in a picturesque Oxfordshire village is one of the most significant collections of Aston Martins ever assembled
Drayton St. Leonard is a small village located eight or so miles south of Oxford on the northern edge of the Chiltern Hills. The picturesque parish is also home to the Aston Martin Heritage Trust Museum, which packs more than 110 years of Aston Martin heritage into a 15th-century timber-framed barn.
Originally built for the monks of Dorchester Abbey, there’s all sorts to see inside this beautiful historic building. Most significant of all is A3 – the oldest surviving Aston Martin – plus there’s one of only four Ulster 2/4s and even the Nimrod, which raced at Le Mans, Silverstone and many other tracks worldwide during the 1980s.
The trust displays rare Aston Martin engineering prototypes, design models and other one-offs too, the original DB7 concept car among them.
Beyond the cars, there’s a treasure trove of memorabilia – factory records, period photos, even an original account book from the early Bamford and Martin days. It’s an Aston anorak’s paradise.
Swollen by donations, loans and acquisitions, there are more cars than barn these days, so just remember that displays are rotated regularly and what was there one visit might not be there the next – only a bonus as far as we’re concerned.
Tickets must be booked in advance, so be sure to visit amht.org.uk for available times and entry fees.