New home for motor museum
Lakeland Motor Museum at Holker Hall in Cumbria will be relocated to a new purpose-built premise at Backbarrow near Newby Bridge.
Former Blue Mill carton packaging sheds have been redeveloped to provide a larger display space for the museum's 30,000 exhibits, which tell the story of more than 100 years of motoring history.
A new exhibit on all aspects of road transport history will now be presented, while existing displays, including a recreated 1930s garage and the Campbell Bluebird exhibition, will be enhanced with improved information boards.
A café will also provide visitors with views of the River Leven.
Managing director, Edwin Maher, said: "We exist to collect, preserve and interpret motoring heritage for the public benefit and to provide educational opportunities, whilst providing a thoroughly enjoyable visitor experience via an awakening of motoring memories.
"We are making good use of a brown field site in an idyllic and easily accessible location which will allow the museum to develop in a sustainable manner. It is our determined intention to create a world class visitor attraction that will contribute in a very significant way to Cumbria's tourism economy."
The museum - established at Holker Hall in 1978 - will remain open to the public until 1 November, when the relocation will get underway. The new facility will open in spring 2010.