I visited Beaulieu over ten years ago and knew that it was time for a re-visit, this time with my son who loves motor vehicles so what better place to take him than the National Motor Museum based here. Founded by the owner of the estate, Lord Montagu, the whole area is full of history and the car collection is only a part of it.
But we start with the cars…..there are two buildings, the first small building is for those that have been seen on-screen in the movies and TV shows of the past. One of the many cars driven by James Bond, Dr Who and a little further on the van labelled Trotter’s Independent Traders from the comedy show Only Fools and Horses, next to the mini driven by Mr Bean in the popular 1980s sketch.
Onto the second building, a much larger venue that shows the development of the powered vehicle from the very early years right up to the modern racing car as seen on the Formula 1 tracks. The classic cars throughout the 40s, 50s and 60s must bring back some great memories for those who would drive these amazing looking contraptions, in my personal opinions these particular ones had a certain element of class and style and are my own favourite despite me never living in this time period. But a slight disappointment for my son when he realised the cars from Top Gear were no longer on display here…. The BBC came and took them back after 15 years, just a few weeks before.
But what was here was the blue car named Bluebird, driven by Donald Campbell where he broke the land speed record before his untimely death in the crash of the boat that bore the same name. Recently the reconstruction of the Bluebird K7 led to it coming here just a few months ago, for one night only as it passed through. Too soon to move the car out of the museum to display the two Bluebirds together, what a sight that would have been!
Out of the Motor Museum and onto a monorail took us around the estate for a birds-eye view of the gardens and the ruined abbey, a vintage bus ride soon after dropped us off at the remains for a more closer look around. The church section is still there but the abbey itself was demolished by Henry VIII during the Dissolution of the Monasteries, but enough is left to tell the stories, an area of the building here still standing holds the exhibits and information boards for a closer look at the history of the area and how the monks lived here back in the medieval period. Near here is a closed off area where a small number of graves stand tall behind a locked gate, one of them being Lord Montagu who had passed away in 2015 at the age of ninety.
As if a ruined abbey and motor museum wasn’t enough, near to the abbey is the gardens, stately home and a smaller building featuring a clock tower that houses the story of the estate’s role in the Second World War when agents from the SOE (Special Operations Executive) trained here for their roles as spies behind enemy lines. Medals and photos are on display here as well as some of the gadgets and items used by the agents in the field and during training.
The grounds are very well kept with parking outside and areas to explore for everyone of every age, even a playground for the younger ones. Very highly recommended. The site is near the village of Beaulieu itself in Hampshire’s New Forest.
https://nationalmotormuseum.org.uk/
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Richard M. Jones is an author and historian specialising in disasters and shipwrecks along with two World Wars. Spending his time between Hampshire and Yorkshire, he has put up 12 memorials to victims of forgotten tragedies and published 19 books along the way.