This award is designed to recognise and reward historic attractions who have gone 'that extra mile' to accommodate, attract, and welcome coaches, their drivers and their passengers.

Winners: Blenheim Palace, Woodstock, Oxfordshire

Home of the Dukes of Marlborough since the early eighteenth century, and birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill, this magnificant baroque palace has long been a favourite destination for groups - having been open to the public since 1950.

The Palace is one of the UK's leading visitor attractions welcoming over 500,000 visitors in 2010/11. Over 86,000 group visitors came to the Palace in 2010/11 including 405 coach groups and 387 private groups.

The judges liked the special provisions made for groups and coach parties right from the initial booking to free coach parking, group catering, themed talks and tours and group organiser support. With a 23% increase in visitors by coach in 2010 Blenheim Palace is doing plenty to develop this market including group web pages and brochures and a dedicated Groups Co-ordinator.

The venue was praised by the judges for its bookable group meeting service, free coach parking and excellent information through its excellent literature and comprehensive and attractive web site.

Runners Up: Black Country Living Museum, Dudley, West Midlands

The Black Country Living Museum is an open air museum brought to life by costumed characters in a canalside village.  During the last 34 years the Museum has preserved and rebuilt over 50 buildings moved brick by brick from across the Black Country to the Museum site, sustaining the importance of Black Country heritage.  The Museum has 240 employees and receives over 96,000 group visitors a year.

The judges appreciated the Museum's efforts to provide a friendly welcome for group visits, with ample coach parking, an inviting entrance foyer, and the complimentary introduction to the Museum by a costumed character.

The museum offers free coach parking, and the information is communicated by what the judges fell to be good looking and stylish literature and internet pages.

Highly Commended

The following venues were also nominated by coach operators from around the country, and highly commended by the judges.

Warwick Castle, Warwick

Marketed as "Britain's ultimate castle", Warwick certainly has a huge amount to offer - and a huge reputation for its many and varied attractions within the context of this magnificant medieval building.

The judges highlighted the ability to pre-book coach parking and other services, and the literature and web site - both were stylish, attractive and highly informative.

Chatsworth, Derbyshire

Set amongst the scenic glories of the Peak District, the home of the Cavendish family, the Dukes of Devonshire, offers groups a great day out.

Improved access arrangements completed in 2010 mean that the main visitor route through the house is now fully accessible to wheelchair users.

The judges were once again impressed by the stylish web site, clear and concise information and welcome given to groups and coach drivers at Chatsworth – a model for others to follow, and which won this award for the Estate in 2010.

Who could be nominated?

Static historic attractions, including museums, galleries, historic houses, gardens and other similar attractions.

… and by whom

Readers of Coach and Bus Week magazine who are coach operators were asked to nominate attractions whose service they have admired during the last 12 months. They were asked to explain why they thouight the nominated attraction deserved this award. The judges made a short-list from the nominations submitted, and selected a winner based on further research.