You, of all people, will know the wonderful reasons to tour Britain: our countryside, coastline, ancient towns… Well, here's another: our concert halls. Not a lot of people know this but Britain is brimful of world-class music venues. Virtually every region boasts a superb concert hall, with wonderful architecture and outstanding music. Here's our list of the top ten concert halls in Britain and a look ahead to forthcoming programmes, arranged in date order.
 • John Evans is editor of Classic FM magazine

Ten years old this year, Bridgewater Hall still amazes with its cutting-edge design and acoustics. Even without an orchestra it is a symphony of delights, with stunning lighting and woodwork. And just so nothing interrupts your pleasure, the hall's mounted on dampers to isolate it from road and rail vibrations.
 • www.bridgewater-hall.co.uk
 • Riverside Caravan Park. www.riversidecaravan park.co.uk

If Art Deco is your bag, you'll love Philharmonic Hall. It was built in 1939 but refurbished in 1995 so that today, a visit to hear its resident orchestra (the world-famous Liverpool Philharmonic) is both an aural and visual treat. Unlike some newer concert halls, Philharmonic Hall isn't about making a grand city statement. It is simply a beautiful hall on a very human scale, which makes any concert experience a memorable one.
 • www.liverpoolphil.com
 • The Plassey Leisure Park. www.theplassey.co.uk

If you needed a reason to visit East Anglia, this is it. Snape Maltings is now home to one of the world's finest concert halls. Thanks to its awesome, wood-beamed ceiling it's an acoustic and aesthetic delight. Stunning marsh views and a superb restaurant complete the experience. Today it's the centre of the annual Britten-Pears Festival (composer Benjamin Britten lived nearby in Aldeburgh) but you can catch fine music whenever you come.
 • www.aldeburgh.co.uk
 • Oaks Caravan Park. www.oakscaravanpark.com

The Royal Albert Hall has to be top of your list of the country's must-see concert halls, even if parking can be a nightmare and it doesn't have the best acoustics. Whatever your poison, the programme is extensive so there's sure to be something for you to see during the year. There's the BBC Proms in the summer but look out too, for concerts and recitals featuring the hall's recently restored Great Organ. It's a monster that shakes the old place to its roots.
 • www.royalalberthall.com
 • Alderstead Heath. www.caravanclub.co.uk

Opened just two years ago, The Sage is at the centre of an impressive regeneration project on the banks of the Tyne. Next door is the Baltic Exchange arts centre and opposite is the Millennium Bridge. It looks like a huge, three-humped bug sheathed in shiny steel but its two superb concert halls, recording studio, music schools and assorted bars and bistros are no laughing matter. As a cultural destination, The Sage is unrivalled.
 • www.thesagegateshead.org
 • Doe Park Touring Caravan Park, Cotherstone, Barnard Castle, County Durham, DL12 9UQ. Tel 01833 650302

Some would say you need a very good reason to go to Basingstoke (although personally I like its clusters of corporate buildings and countless roundabouts). And here it is: the Anvil. This modern hall attracts world-class orchestras including the London Mozart Players and the fantastic Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, as well as leading international soloists. And when the music's over, the coast is only a short drive away.
 • www.theanvil.org.uk
 • www.meadowbank-holidays.co.uk

This amazing hall is the fruit of Sir Simon Rattle's 20-year stint at the helm of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. It may not look too pre-possessing from the outside but inside, its horseshoe-shaped concert hall will take your breath away. You'll need to visit Switzerland and Lucerne's new concert hall to experience such beauty and world-class acoustics.
 • www.necgroup.co.uk
 • www.beaconsfield-farm.co.uk

As the gateway to the West Country and a startlingly rich city in its own right, Bristol has always been high up the list of touring destinations. Music lovers appreciate it too, especially those who don't need grand concert halls (such as Manchester's Bridgewater) to attract them. A good thing, too, because Bristol's Colston Hall is a tiddler by comparison but is no less appealing. This year's new concert season, which is brimming with top names, demonstrates a rich, varied and individual programme.
 • www.colstonhall.org
 • www.bathchewvalley. co.uk

Here's another excuse to visit this most romantic of cities. Usher Hall is a splendid Romanesque building and the main auditorium has just been refurbished. Now, with phase two of the hall's development programme underway, the planners and designers aim to make the place an international centre of musical excellence.
 • www.usherhall.co.uk
 • Edinburgh Caravan Club Site www.caravanclub.co.uk

While the WMC may be fiercely Welsh in spirit, its music and arts programme is truly international. West-End musicals, touring opera companies and foreign orchestras all come for the facilities and auditorium. Marvel at the concert hall and variety of bars and bistros
 • www.wmc.org.uk
 • Tredegar House Country Park Caravan Club Site www.caravanclub.co.uk

 • The above is an extract from an article published in the March 2006 issue of Practical Motorhome magazine.

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