Norfolk
Formed from the private MacHaye Collection, the Norfolk Tank Museum’s collection of armoured vehicles is second to none, writes Craig Moore
If you take your family on holiday to experience the delights of the many sandy beaches and seaside towns of Norfolk and Suffolk, consider a day trip to the Norfolk Tank Museum. You will not be disappointed.
The museum’s origins go back to the 1980s, with the establishment of the private MacHaye Collection by the current chairman Stephen MacHaye, who had been accumulating military vehicles since he was young. As of 2011, a dedicated building was established just outside of the Norfolk village of Forncett St Peter to house the ever-growing collection.
Upon arrival at the site, guests are directed first towards the main hanger, which is the home of the core of the collection, and three Cold War British Army monsters. The first of these is a Centurion AVRE, which was designed to be a replacement for the Churchill VII AVRE and first entered service in 1962.
A most impressive vehicle, it is armed with a L9A1 demolition gun and fitted with a large bulldozer blade at the front. It served during the Cold War in Britain and Germany, also seeing action during the 1991 Gulf War.
