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'Fantastic' aviation museum to open after makeover

Holly PhillipsEast Yorkshire and Lincolnshire
News imageNorth Kesteven District Council A close-up of a museum display showing black-and-white photos of RAF personnel who won the Victoria Cross and other honours. Each photo is mounted on a purple and red board, with text detailing their name, dates of birth and death, the medal they received and a description of their life and service. The closest photo shows the head and shoulders of a young man wearing an RAF uniform. The text reads: "Leslie Thomas Manser, 11 May 1922 - 31 May 1942, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, Victoria Cross."North Kesteven District Council
Recipients of the Victoria Cross are among those remembered at the museum

A ceremony will be held later to celebrate the reopening of an aviation museum in Lincolnshire.

Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum, near Sleaford, closed for three months in December 2025 for "essential repairs and maintenance".

North Kesteven District Council said visitors would be able to enjoy an "enhanced experience" when the site reopens to the public on Good Friday at 10:00 BST.

Council leader Richard Wright said: "We are excited to welcome the public back to the museum this Easter and to enjoy the fantastic experience the site has to offer."

News imageNorth Kesteven District Council An old, weathered jet aircraft standing in a gravel yard outside yellow-brick buildings. The plane is painted orange on the bottom half and white on the top half. The top half of its nose is painted black. A letter large "B" is stencilled on to the side. The sky is grey.North Kesteven District Council
Volunteers at RAF Cranwell are restoring the BAC Jet Provost

The museum, which first opened to the public in 1992, celebrates the history of nearby RAF Cranwell, the officer training college.

The council said the site has been made more functional and welcoming and the shop and cafe had also been upgraded.

A new virtual reality experience has been created to offer "immersive ways to experience aviation".

Volunteers at RAF Cranwell are also restoring the BAC Jet Provost, a trainer aircraft used between 1955 and 1993.

News imageNorth Kesteven District Council A woman facing sideways towards a wall, restocking some keychains on hooks in a shop. There are shelves with books and other items on. Another woman is writing on a blackboard in the background.North Kesteven District Council
Volunteers putting the finishing touches to Cranwell Aviation Heritage Museum

In addition, the North Kesteven Airfield Trail has been updated, making it easier for visitors to explore the area's aviation heritage.

The trail includes a network of active RAF stations and former airfields across Lincolnshire, along with the International Bomber Command Centre.

The museum will be open every Friday to Monday, from 10:00 until 15:00 BST.

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