Catapulted into an off the cuff armoury visit; Days Out GRAHAM YOUNG VISITS STRATFORD ARMOURIES.

Byline: GRAHAM YOUNG

SOME days out missions are planned months ahead, some on the day and others are the result of just going with the flow.

And that was certainly the case with our first visit to Stratford Armouries because, quite simply, we'd never even heard of it until we spotted its new brown sign near the Dun Cow Pub at Pathlow on the A3400 Birmingham Road to Stratford.

Turning left, we found a strange barn-that's-not-a-barn building off Gospel Oak Lane, with lots of cannons and mock cannonballs on the driveway.

Well, it is close to Snitterfield Airfield, a former World War II Royal Air Force training base.

The car park was impressively busy and, beyond that, there was a giant catapult machine which son Louie took an instant liking to.

Inside the building, we weren't quite sure what was going on.

There were different attractions with various admission prices.

Yet there was also a lack of clarity about where the entrance was, what it was all about and where we should be going.

Soon, though, the reasons for our confusion began to make sense.

Our visit at half term was, in some respects, too early, because Stratford Armouries is still a work in progress (looking at the blog on the website later explained about the arrival of the proper reception desk which still hadn't been commissioned at the time of our arrival).

Meanwhile, we found notes saying that more information would be displayed in due course about the exhibits which have been sourced by collector James Wigington with a view to meeting National Curriculum standards.

What I had seen during my initial walk round the outside of the building, was a glimpse inside the kitchen - where the food looked very good...

Much to the soon-forgotten disappointment of our own three children, we chose not to eat amid the din of youngsters playing in the Aeronautical Gallery indoor play area facility.

Designed by mother-of-two Jayne Meehan, it resembles a small Wacky Warehouse with the added attraction of aeroplanes hanging in the air, but there's a separate admission charge here.

We enjoyed a more relaxing meal instead in a large room called Lantaka's Restaurant which has been designed for brunch, lunch, Sunday lunch and special occasions.

On a clear day, there are splendid views through a very large window looking out across much of the 86 acre site.

There's also a very big sofa here where you just long to spend the whole of Sunday morning reading the papers!

Served by a very pleasant young man, our food was fabulous, especially my bacon which was a cut above most sandwiches.

Our meals, for two adults and three children, came to just under pounds 25 which wasn't bad considering the quality and two alcoholic drinks.

Having already paid our admission fee, we then had a look round the armoury's three galleries which specialises in English, European and middle eastern arms and armour.

Its most impressive feature takes you by surprise as soon as you go through the door.

A huge model of an elephant complete with a howdah dwarfs adults never mind your children.

The main room is full of suits of armour, helmets, swords and model horses.

Some are wearing the sort of heavy duty protective gear that might not have seemed out of place at the height of the miners' strike which began 25 years ago this week.

Once it is fully finished, there is the scope at Stratford Armouries for it to become a really popular day out.

During our visit, a separate Creaturama exhibition was closed even though a look at the website later suggested it had already opened.

A sneak peak inside here, though, revealed some stunning 'Myths and Legends' models created by artist Anthony James.

Although it looks like a real architectural oddity from the outside, there's a great sense of space throughout the inside of this new building.

There are plans for a future patio at the back of Lantaka's which will be a great place to enjoy the countryside in the summer.

And the site will also include a Shakespeare Wildflower Walk.

The project has been backed by DEFRA as part of a diversification scheme.

Visitor Info

STRATFORD Armouries Gospel Oak Lane Pathlow Stratford on Avon Warwickshire CV37 0JA Tel [phone] Email: [e-mail] Website: www.stratfordarmouries.co.uk Aeronautical gallery play barn open 10am - 5pm seven days per week.

Admission prices: Under 2s - pounds 3.00; Over 2s weekdays - pounds 4.50; Over 2s Weekends and Bank Holidays - pounds 5.

The Wigington family have nearly 250 years' experience in arms and armour collecting dating back to the 18th century.

The main armoury rooms are open from 10am to 5pm seven days a week. Nominal admission is currently pounds 1.25 per person, rising to about pounds 4.50 in April.

CAPTION(S):

Louie Young with a giant catapult at Stratford Armouries