C is for Cars

UK car fans are spoilt for choice over the summer as Britain has some of the best car museums and motor heritage attractions in the world to experience. With a wonderful variety of things to see and activities to take part in covering the full spectrum of cars and motoring. If you head to the New Forest in Hampshire you will find the ultimate group day out.

Opened in 1952 by Lord Montagu as a collection of five cars in his home's entrance hall, Beaulieu as we know it opened in 1972. Now there are 280 vehicles on display including numerous record breakers, film and TV cars and much more it's home to Beaulieu Palace House and gardens, Beaulieu Abbey and the Secret Army exhibition, so it's a very full day… In Surrey you will find Brooklands where apart from housing lots of fabulous old cars, many of which are historically significant racers, the venue is also crammed with old aircraft including a Concorde the King of the skies. The Midlands used to be the beating heart of Britain's car industry, with Coventry a major hub for automotive production as a result the Coventry Transport Museum looks closely at the city's heritage. Housing the world's largest publicly owned collection of British vehicles, there are 14 galleries to take in such gems as Thrust 2 and Thrust SSC, plus masses of cars, commercial vehicles and motorcycles.

Opened in 1993 and now home to the world's largest collection of historic British cars, the British Motor Museum in Warwickshire features more than 400 vehicles, many of which are unique prototypes or concepts. Go on a weekend and the chances are that there will be some vast event taking place in front of the museum, which hosts displays of Vauxhalls, Fords, BL and much more. Housed in a Victorian factory unit in Derbyshire, the Great British Car Journey is home to more than 130 cars with a focus on what was once everyday, but which has now largely disappeared. Unusually, you don't have to just gawp at the cars on display; for a fee there are also more than 50 that you can drive around the museum site, from an Austin A30 to a Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit. Britain has been at the forefront of motorsport since the first races took place, and that is reflected in this homage to racing.

Based at Silverstone in Northamptonshire, this is an interactive museum with a driving simulator, Scalextric layout and lots of exhibits that guide you through the most advanced racers ever made. The history of the circuit is told and there's memorabilia plus historic cars at every turn. Finally end your car journey in the Lake District, which is a fabulous place to visit, and if you're there you need to call in at the Lakeland Motor Museum, which is to the south of the lakes. The museum is crammed with more than 30,000 exhibits that trace the development of road transport throughout the 20th century.