Tiny English market town right on the river is home to unusual sci-fi museum and 56-year-old music festival

A TOWN in the UK with a population of less than 5,000 might be seen as a surprising holiday destination.

But, for sci-fi fans and music lovers at least, Bromyard in Herefordshire is a great place to visit.

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It was built alongside the River Frome close to the Worcestershire border and its picturesque half-timbered buildings look exactly the way they would have when they were built in the 17th century.

However. that’s not the type of time travel a lot of the town’s visitors are there to enjoy.

The Time Machine museum is a must-visit for UK based science fiction fans, especially those who like Dr Who.

The museum is filled with hundreds of items, including props, costumes and memorabilia from sci-fi films and series.

Around 85 per cent of the museum’s artefacts are Dr Who related, according to the museum’s website.

Meanwhile, the remaining exhibits include items from shows like Red Dwarf and the Gerry Anderson puppet shows including Thunderbirds, Captain Scarlet and Stingray.

There are also items from Star Trek Voyager and some Star Wars items.

The museum has an overall rating of 4.5/5 on TripAdvisor, with plenty of sci-fi fans giving it the full five stars.

One wrote: “A lovely museum jam packed with brilliant props, models and outfits from mostly Dr Who but also pieces from Jerry Anderson, Star Trek, Star Wars, Red Dwarf. This is a unique collection.”

Another said: “This place is so great. It drips with character and real passion for old school sci fi, especially Dr. Who. The phrase ‘Aladdin’s Cave’ is overused but it really applies here.

“It’s a tiny place, but I spent over an hour here, and I still had to be dragged out.”

A third added: “Had a great time looking round this museum, if you like Dr Who or Thunderbirds etc this place is a must.”

Another reason why visitors head to Bromyard is its extensive array of festivals.

Among those, its most highly-regarded is the Bromyard Folk Festival, which as been running for 56 years, after it started in 1968.

It’s attended by thousands every year, with entertainment, food, drink and activities taking place across the whole weekend.

Concerts from artists like Martin Simpson can be expected this year, along with ceilidhs, real ale and cider stalls, dancing displays and music and craft workshops.

It’s not just music that’s celebrated in the town either, with cars another popular subject around which one of the town’s festivals is centred.

The Bromyard Speed Festival is described as “a celebration of motoring history” and traditionally welcomes in excess of 140 road and race vehicles.

These include historic, classic, prestige, racing cars, road cars, super cars and motorcycles. 

Meanwhile, there’s also the town criers festival, a scarecrow festival and a pride festival among others.

The town’s website says: “Bromyard is justly proud of its reputation as a town of festivals, thanks to the enthusiasm of its fun-loving volunteer organisers.”

A night for two in a B&B in the town can be booked from £80.

Campsites near to the town offer pitches from £10 per night.

Meanwhile, this is town in the Lake District has been labelled a “party capital” because of its calendar of festivals.

And this little-known European town has its own pistachio festival every year.

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