Lakeland Motor Museum

The Lakeland Motor Museum sits beside the River Leven in Backbarrow, a quiet village in Cumbria. It now occupies the old Reckitt’s Blue Dye Works carton sheds, a long brick building with large windows. The site once produced packaging for a well-known cleaning product. In 2010 the museum moved here from Holker Hall, where it had opened in 1978 as an extra attraction for the stately home. Donald Sidebottom began collecting cars and memorabilia in the 1960s and created the original display. The Winander Group later bought the collection and relocated it to Backbarrow. The museum holds more than thirty thousand motoring items, making it one of the largest collections of its kind in the north of England. Among the highlights are a 1913 Star 15.9, a 1936 Bentley 4¼-litre once owned by Donald Campbell, a wartime Willys Jeep and a 1955 Jaguar XK140. A special exhibition honours Sir Malcolm Campbell and his son Donald and their record-breaking runs on land and water. Visitors can also see a recreated 1920s garage, complete with tools and petrol pumps from the era. Inside, the museum is arranged in clear sections so each type of vehicle has its own space. The Campbell exhibition includes photographs, trophies and a model Bluebird car. Outside, the riverside setting offers a peaceful walk after viewing the exhibits. The building’s high ceilings and natural light show off the polished paintwork of the classic cars. Nearby, the old dye works chimney stands as a reminder of the site’s industrial past.