England Guide
Yorkshire
Royal Armouries
Opening time: Daily 10am–5pm
Price: Free
Address: Clarence Dock
Website: www.armouries.org.uk
The glass turret and gun-metal grey bulk of the Royal Armouries was purpose-built to house the arms and armour collection from the Tower of London. It's a hugely adventurous museum that requires a leap of faith – discard the notion that all you'll see are casefuls of weapons because you're in for a treat. Themed galleries cover concepts such as "War" and "Hunting", with displays – ranging from gun emplacements to Mughal Indian elephant armour – backed up by intelligent commentary, video exhibits and documentary evidence. Interpretations and demonstrations take place throughout the day, so you might learn smallsword techniques from a Georgian swordmaster or sixteenth-century javelin skills in the outdoor Tiltyard.