Beaulieu handed top accolade for a third year

Beaulieu has again received the highest accolade awarded by VisitEngland after being hailed as one of the best visitor destinations in the UK.

Known as the Beaulieu Attraction, it includes the National Motor Museum, the 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and Palace House – ancestral home of the Montagu family.

The previous Lord Montagu of Beaulieu established the museum in the early 1950s after opening Palace House to the public.

VisitEngland has praised Beaulieu for way it displays its exhibits, the quality of its restaurant and the steps it takes to ensure visitors have a memorable day out.

Commercial director Stephen Munn said: “This is the third year running that VisitEngland has awarded Beaulieu a gold accolade.

“We’re proud to continue delivering the best experience for our visitors. Maintaining the highest possible standards is important to both Beaulieu and the New Forest.”

VisitEngland’s senior quality schemes executive, Vicky Howell, added: “This accolade is testament to the high standards achieved, which the assessor felt were truly deserving of recognition.”

Gold accolades are awarded to top-scoring attractions following an annual survey of tourist sites across the country.

Beaulieu has a priceless collection of cars, including record-breaking vehicles that were driven by the legendary Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald.

A display area called On Screen Cars features Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the three-wheeled van from Only Fools and Horses and the getaway car used in the Absolutely Fabulous movie.

A building beside Palace House contains an exhibition about the Special Operations Executive (SOE), a secret wartime organisation that worked with the Resistance behind enemy lines. SOE used country houses on the Beaulieu Estate as a finishing school for agents preparing to be parachuted into Nazi-occupied Europe.

The attraction also includes a display called The World of Top Gear - a tribute to the world’s best-known motoring programme.