1 Victorian nature writer and campaigner for workers’ rights Richard Jefferies is arguably the most prominent literary figure of the Swindon area. His birthplace museum at Coate - richardjefferies.org - is filled with relics of his life, rare editions of his books and a large collection of memorabilia. Run by a team of volunteers, the museum also runs special arts-related events with an emphasis on the things the author held most dear.

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2 Like the Richard Jefferies Museum, the Museum of Computing in Theatre Square is perhaps not as well known as certain other museums in the area. Something else it has in common with the Coate destination is that it is run by volunteers - and still another thing is that it is thoroughly excellent. From primitive calculating devices to the machines which helped pave the way for modern computing, not to mention a 1980s childhood fantasy’s worth of games, the museum is a must-see. It is open on Saturdays only. Visit www.museumofcomputing.org.uk

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3 The current roster of special events and exhibitions at Steam - Swindon’s Museum of the Great Western Railway includes an exhibition devoted to the years in the early to mid-20th century during which Britain’s railway companies competed for the distinction of being the fastest. There is also a display of nameplates from the work horse HST locomotives which carried millions of passengers to and from Swindon for some 40 years before their recent retirement from the line. The museum’s website is www.steam-museum.org.uk

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4 The oldest of the fine museums on Swindon’s doorstep is Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, which is home to artifacts dating back as far as the mysterious era when the town was nothing more than a modest agricultural hamlet whose inhabitants scratched a living on top of a hill. There are artefacts from every era since, covering both the natural world and Swindon’s diverse industrial heritage. The museum is also keenly aware that history is the story of people rather than just that of objects. Visit swindonmuseumandartgallery.org.uk

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5 The Wiltshire Museum is among the most popular visitor attractions in Devizes. Many of its displays relate specifically to the town and its Norman castle, but others relate to the county as a whole. Many reflect the earliest traces of human habitation, and these include a wind instrument fashioned from a human lower leg bone. The museum’s website is www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk

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6 In addition to being one of the county’s most picturesque towns and the location of one of the nation’s few surviving Saxon Churches, Bradford-on-Avon has a volunteer-run museum which would be the envy of museums in many larger communities. Its exhibits range from fossils found in the area to examples of the distinctive Moulton bicycles which were made there and became both ubiquitous and iconic. Visit www.bradfordonavonmuseum.co.uk

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7 The Alexander Keiller Museum in Avebury - www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/alexander-keiller-museum-avebury - is filled with information and relics relating to the ancient stone circle and the ancient sites throughout the surrounding countryside.

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8 The REME Museum at Lyneham - www.rememuseum.org.uk - covers the entire history of the Corps of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, and its collection runs to tend of thousands of objects ranging from intricate tools to specialist vehicles based on tanks. There are uniforms, weapons, decorations and personal memorabilia of personnel past and present.

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9 Like the REME Museum, the Rifles Berkshire and Wiltshire Museum in Salisbury - www.thewardrobe.org.uk - tells a proud military story through the memories of and objects used by those who served and serve. There are weapons ranging from swords to pistols, thousands of photographs, uniforms, decorations, flags, musical instruments and even a cannon ball from the American War of Independence.

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10 Cirencester’s Corinium Museum houses one of the country’s finest collections of Roman objects, which is hardly surprising in view of the town’s ancient status as a major Roman community.Visit coriniummuseum.org

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