Lots to see at Beaulieu in the 1930s garage…
EMILY was on the right road for a fun day out when she took her children to the National Motor Museum.
She writes:
ON the sunniest day in February we had a day out at Beaulieu, home of the National Motor Museum. It was meant to be a family visit but my husband had to go into work. So this was my first day out on my own with our three children: a four-year-old, a 20-month-old and a ten-week-old baby.
The Beaulieu Estate is in the New Forest, Hampshire. Its collection of cars has been created by Lord Montagu whose family has lived at Beaulieu since the 16th century.
The main attraction is the National Motor Museum. I’m no petrol head, but you don’t have to like cars to appreciate this. The collection contains more than 250 vehicles, including those from every era of motoring history. There are 100-year-old bone shakers from the pioneering days of motoring, vehicles from TV and film, iconic cars and vehicles which have made history.
One of the most famous incumbents is Donald Campbell’s Bluebird which set a world land speed record of 403.1 mph in 1964. Nearby is a selection of Formula 1 cars. It’s not all "flash" and impressive though. You can also see Del Boy Trotter’s Reliant Regal van and Mr Bean’s Mini. And in among the Rolls Royces, Ferraris and Jaguars are more humble cars such as the Ford Anglia and Hillman Imp.
For obvious reasons you aren’t allowed to touch the displays (which got frustrating for my children). However, there’s some interactivity with a re-created 1930s garage, and you can sit in a Routemaster bus and an ancient Pope Tribune. The Wheels pod ride takes you through the history of the wheel. It doesn’t tell you much you don’t know, but it’s a bit of fun and the children loved it. The Wheels ride would have been tricky to negotiate with just me and three little ones. So the staff closed it to other visitors and helped us have an exclusive ride of our own.
Housed near the main museum is the World of Top Gear display and the James Bond Exhibition. Fans of Top Gear will be pleased to see the ‘Reasonably Priced Car’ driven by the celebrities on the show and various ridiculous vehicles used and abused in Top Gear challenges. The James Bond Exhibition includes the Ford driven by Daniel Craig in Casino Royale and the famous Lotus Submarine car from The Spy Who Loved Me.
The restaurant is a good size and bright and airy. There’s a choice of hot food or sandwiches. The food we had was quite good quality. Lunch cost us £12, although I brought some sandwiches along for the children. There are children’s hot meals and a snack bar where you can select various items to put in a bag for them. The toilets have a baby changing area which is well-kept and clean. There’s also a chair provided here for feeding your baby although I did this in the restaurant.
After lunch we had a ride on the monorail. It’s about 20 feet from the ground and you can use it to get from one end of the site to the other. I was slightly nervy climbing up the steps with three little ones. I was even more nervy when I realised the windows had no glazing in and the boys were happy to lean out and wave at people on the ground. They were instructed to sit on the seat and not move an inch while I held the baby. I think the boys enjoyed the ride more than I did.
We didn’t have time to look around the 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and Palace House which has been the Montagu family home since 1538. This currently contains the Secret Army Exhibition about the training of secret agents at Beaulieu in WWII. There are some well-laid out kitchen and flower gardens which are no doubt beautiful in warmer months. There are also walks beside Beaulieu River and the millpond. My children enjoyed the playground which has a neighbouring ice cream hut open in the summer. A veteran open-topped bus takes visitors across the site, but we didn’t find the time to ride on it.
The estate is easy to walk around and accessibility with a pushchair or wheelchair is generally good. Unfortunately the main museum is on two levels accessed only by steps. This means walking around the outside of the building to get to the lower level. You can’t take pushchairs or wheelchairs on the monorail or veteran bus.
We had a great day at Beaulieu and I survived my first day trip alone with three children.
Beaulieu is family-friendly with something to interest everyone.
My children are too young to understand the significance of the cars in the museum, but they were easily occupied.
They would have loved to have climbed on more cars but I have a feeling the collection is too valuable for that.
In a few years' time they’ll be old enough to be impressed with what they’re seeing. We visited at the quietest time of year which suited me because the children could run about and I didn’t have to worry about losing them in a crowd.
In the busier summer months and school holidays there are a lot more events and activities.
Factbox
Visit the website for more information.
Beaulieu is open every day except Christmas Day, from 10am to 5pm (6pm June to September). Current admission prices are:
Adult: £15.75
Child (5-12): £8.50
Teens (13-17): £9.50
Senior citizens and students: £14.75
Family ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children or 1 adult and up to 4 children): £43 You can make a return visit within six days for free.
Beaulieu is a short drive from Southampton and well signposted. The postcode for your sat nav is SO42 7ZN.
Thank you to Margaret Rowles and the rest of the Beaulieu staff for giving us a warm welcome and helping us enjoy our day.
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