MAJOR improvements are due to be carried out to one of Hampshire's top tourist attractions, the Daily Echo can reveal.

National Lottery funding is being sought for plans to enhance the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu, which has attracted millions of visitors since it opened in the early 1970s.

The scheme was unveiled at the annual Beaulieu Estate dinner, hosted by Lord Montagu, 80, and his eldest son, the Hon Ralph Montagu.

Ralph Montagu said: "The trustees of the museum are putting the finishing touches to a lottery bid that envisages a range of improvements to the building and its displays.

"The extent to which these are realised will depend on whether the application is successful so I won't say more until we know the outcome. Needless to say we consider it essential that the museum continues to evolve and respond to changing expectations."

Mr Montagu also updated tenants on plans for a narrow-gauge steam railway on the 7,000-acre estate.

He said: "Civil engineers are appraising two main route options. The first would see Beaulieu village linked to Buckler's Hard, offering an alternative to road transport and the footpath. The second would be within the museum grounds, possibly as a long-term replacement for our veteran bus or monorail."

The guest speaker at this year's dinner was television journalist Peter Snow, who spoke about the ups and downs of live broadcasting.

He said many of his worst moments occurred when his famous Swingometer failed to work properly or a computer graphics display developed a fault.

Mr Snow also described various nautical nightmares that had occurred since he started sailing on the Beaulieu River in 1974. On one occasion he was with two fellow broadcasters, his cousin Jon Snow and Jon's then fiance, Anna Ford, when they ran aground and were stranded for six hours.