Figures released by the National Museum Directors' Conference show that this summer saw a record number of visitors to the UK's national museums.

More than 5.7 million people visited UK national museums in August, representing an increase of 11 per cent over the same month last year.

Among the highlights were a 15 per cent rise - 809,443 visitors - across the four branches of Tate; a 24 per cent increase at both the Victoria & Albert Museum and the Wallace Collection; a 17 per cent increase - 592,534 - at the Natural History Museum; and a rise of 18 per cent - 568,375 - at the National Gallery.

In total the UK's national museums played host to more than 42 million visitors in 2009/10.

The latest Taking Part National Survey of Participation in Culture and Sport results from the DCMS also reveal an increase in museum visits.

The survey showed that - in 2009/2010 - 46.7 per cent of adults and 68.8 per cent of children aged 5-15 visited a museum, gallery or archive, the former up 11 per cent since the Taking Part survey began in 2005-06.

DCMS-funded national museums have seen a 41 per cent rise in visitor numbers since the introduction of free admission in 2001, from 28.5 million visitors in 2000-01 to more than 41 million in 2009-10.

The greatest increases in visitor numbers across individual sites are shown to be at the National Maritime Museum, up 197 per cent since 2001; the National Museums Liverpool, up 178 per cent; the Natural History Museum, up 159 per cent; and the Victoria & Albert Museum, up 105 per cent.