The
West of England Transport Collection
(WETC) originated during the 1960s
when Colin Shears, a local vehicle enthusiast, started to acquire cars,
lorries and buses of historical interest that might otherwise be
scrapped. Initially this commenced on quite a small scale
but,
over the years the collection began to grow and it is estimated that in
excess of 200 vehicles have been saved from very uncertain futures.
The
Collection is located on the site of the former RAF base at Winkleigh
which was
constructed early during World War II. The hangar and
remaining
outbuildings provided an ideal place in which to store vehicles
awaiting restoration and the old runways and taxiways provided useful
space for off-road testing.
Nowadays, the recently
refurbished
hangar continues to be the main storage area where not only the West
of
England Transport Collection
but also vehicles belonging to other preservationists are stored.
Although
the Collection is not open to the public, we have in the past held an annual Open
Day, usually on the first Sunday during October (see link above for
details). This was always a well attended event during which the
whole of
the WETC is on display along with a variety of other visiting vehicles.
Occasional private visits can be arranged - please use our
Contact page should you be interested in discussing this.
Copyright: West of England Transport Collection at Winkleigh