Must-see museums
As nine members of the royal family take in British tourist spots in a bid to lure visitors back to the country, we chart some of the quirkier, unsung heroes of the UK tourism trade.
1. Barometer World in Merton, near Okehampton, Devon, boasts "the largest collection of English barometers on public display in the world". Weatherman Michael Fish has endorsed Barometer World, calling it '"a truly amazing collection and one which even betters the one at the Science Museum".
2. Among the exhibits at Newarke Houses Museum are a pair of trousers worn by Daniel Lambert, Britain's heaviest man, and the Saturday Shambles exhibition, which explores the history of Leicester market, plus the only Elizabethan urban gentry house in the country.
3. Ever heard of metrology? It's the science of weights and measures. Find out more about metrology at the Kirkaldy Testing Museum in Southwark, south London, which features the giant Kirkaldy Testing Machine.
4. The British Lawnmower Museum, located in Southport, Lancashire, features "landmowers of the rich and famous", including those belonging to Prince Charles, Diana Princess of Wales, Hilda Ogden, Alan Titchmarsh, Nicholas Parsons and Vanessa Feltz, plus "some of the fastest lawnmowers in the world as seen on TV".
5. The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, provides tanks galore for the military enthusiast, including almost 300 vehicles from more than 26 countries.
6. Find out how Britain's favourite hard floor covering is manufactured at Spa Laminates factory, Leeds. Tours by arrangement.
7. The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum is a small but perfectly formed exhibit that tells the harrowing tale of the martyrs. Narrated by Tony Robinson, interactive touch screen displays tell the story of the foundation of the modern trade union movement.
8. Pig Paradise Farm offers a day-long course in pig keeping for the would-be porcine enthusiast in Blackfordby, Derbyshire. Owners Tony and Mary Rose specialise in rare pig breeds, offering meat for sale and boar hire for pig owners who want to increase their herd.
9. You can don hard hats and gloves for a tour of the subterranean world of the Brighton sewers. Visits are arranged by Southern Water from May to September, weather permitting. Claustrophobes and people with a morbid fear of rats are advised to give this one a miss.
10. Travel to the Bakelite Museum in Williton, Somerset and you will be rewarded with a look at the largest collection of vintage plastics in Britain, including a Bakelite coffin, spy cameras and "monstrous perming machines". You can top off your trip with a cream tea at the museum's cafe.
2. Among the exhibits at Newarke Houses Museum are a pair of trousers worn by Daniel Lambert, Britain's heaviest man, and the Saturday Shambles exhibition, which explores the history of Leicester market, plus the only Elizabethan urban gentry house in the country.
3. Ever heard of metrology? It's the science of weights and measures. Find out more about metrology at the Kirkaldy Testing Museum in Southwark, south London, which features the giant Kirkaldy Testing Machine.
4. The British Lawnmower Museum, located in Southport, Lancashire, features "landmowers of the rich and famous", including those belonging to Prince Charles, Diana Princess of Wales, Hilda Ogden, Alan Titchmarsh, Nicholas Parsons and Vanessa Feltz, plus "some of the fastest lawnmowers in the world as seen on TV".
5. The Tank Museum in Bovington, Dorset, provides tanks galore for the military enthusiast, including almost 300 vehicles from more than 26 countries.
6. Find out how Britain's favourite hard floor covering is manufactured at Spa Laminates factory, Leeds. Tours by arrangement.
7. The Tolpuddle Martyrs Museum is a small but perfectly formed exhibit that tells the harrowing tale of the martyrs. Narrated by Tony Robinson, interactive touch screen displays tell the story of the foundation of the modern trade union movement.
8. Pig Paradise Farm offers a day-long course in pig keeping for the would-be porcine enthusiast in Blackfordby, Derbyshire. Owners Tony and Mary Rose specialise in rare pig breeds, offering meat for sale and boar hire for pig owners who want to increase their herd.
9. You can don hard hats and gloves for a tour of the subterranean world of the Brighton sewers. Visits are arranged by Southern Water from May to September, weather permitting. Claustrophobes and people with a morbid fear of rats are advised to give this one a miss.
10. Travel to the Bakelite Museum in Williton, Somerset and you will be rewarded with a look at the largest collection of vintage plastics in Britain, including a Bakelite coffin, spy cameras and "monstrous perming machines". You can top off your trip with a cream tea at the museum's cafe.
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