Lakeland Motor Museum Crowned Britain's Best Classic Destination

 The search for Britain's Best Classic Destination is over with Lakeland Motor Museum being crowned the winner. Les Micklethwaite, Director of the museum, was presented the award by Danny Hopkins, the Editor of Practical Classics and David Bond, Managing Director of Footman James.

After originally being nominated as part of a 30 strong long list, Lakeland Motor Museum made it to the top 10 shortlist after a popular vote by readers of Practical Classics. This month, Footman James and Practical Classics spent a week touring the country to visit each of the shortlisted destinations. While each nominated place was a fantastic venue for classic vehicle enthusiasts, Lakeland Motor Museum managed to beat the stiff competition and was announced as the winner.

Director of the Lakeland Motor Museum, Les Micklethwaite, commented, “This is a fantastic accolade and is a tribute to the hard work and dedication of a team who are committed to telling the story of a diverse motoring heritage in an interactive and accessible way. The Museum has beaten a variety of other iconic classic car destinations and it is particularly fitting to receive this honour in our Ruby Anniversary year.”

Practical Classics Editor, Danny Hopkins, adds, “The Lakeland Motor Museum was voted the best by everyone within our team and sponsors, beating some top-class competition. The thing that really struck me during our recent visit was not just the rich motoring heritage on display, but also the friendly, informal atmosphere in this special riverside location. The enthusiasm and warm welcome from both visitors and staff has made the Museum our ultimate winner!”

“It’s also surrounded by beautiful countryside, meaning the drive to the Museum is part of the fun and to top it all, the Museum is next-door to the most wonderful café – the best we experienced on our tour.”

Lakeland Motor Museum is also celebrating its 40th anniversary this year and in the last four decades has attracted over 1.5 million visitors. With its unique collection of 30,000 exhibits and over 150 motorbikes, it's a worthy winner.

David Bond, Managing Director at Footman James commented, “We had a fantastic time on tour with the Practical Classics team and are honoured to present the award for Britain’s Best Classic Destination to Lakeland Motor Museum. The museum fought off some tough competition throughout the tour, but was the perfect winner for the award; bringing nostalgia back with all its stunning classics on display and knowledgeable staff who loved the industry. They are truly a well-deserved winner.”