Pretty as a picture and steeped in history, the New Forest village of Beaulieu (meaning “beautiful place”) continues to charm all those who visit.
Surrounded by leafy acres and sleepy meadows, this delightful corner of Hampshire is characterised by its quiet cobbled streets, chocolate box cottages, sun-dappled glebes and lavender-scented tea gardens - hallmarks of a bygone era.
The Beaulieu River flows past the village on its way to the Solent seawater and once drove the cogs and grinders of the old tide mill. This stretch of the river is negotiable to small craft as it wends its way to the neighbouring hamlet of Buckler’s Hard, part of the Beaulieu Estate and once famous for its shipwright enterprises which included the building of Vice Admiral Horatio Lord Nelson’s most-favoured gun boat, HMS Agamemnon. These now peaceful surroundings provide the perfect setting for a leisurely stroll or riverside picnic, and nowhere more so than the large, tree-lined mill pond at the head of Beaulieu.
Holidays in Beaulieu can be spent enjoying a range of outdoor activities, from rambling, mountain biking and pony trekking, to archery, canoeing and kayaking. If you’re in the mood for something a little more sedate, take a stroll along the gentle sloping high street where you’ll discover traditional merchants and artisan shops, tearooms, delicatessens and olde worlde inns.
Aside from the resident donkeys who can often be seen idling on the village green, Beaulieu is also a popular haunt for birdwatchers and wildlife enthusiasts, all keen to catch a glimpse of such species as the Dartford warbler and the European honey buzzard.
Other local attractions include Palace House, one of the ‘Treasure Houses of England’, an impressive Victorian country house with an ecclesiastical heritage, Exbury Gardens, a spectacular 200-acre garden famous for its collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, rare trees and shrubs, Beaulieu Abbey, Buckler’s Hard Maritime Museum, where you’ll learn all about the vessels built for Nelson’s Armada and be able to take a tranquil river tour, and the National Motor Museum, where you’ll find more than 250 vintage and classic motorcars including the legendry land speed record holders Bluebird and Golden Arrow, plus special exhibitions and events from James Bond to Top Gear.
Beaulieu Road railway station is on the London-Weymouth main line and provides regular carriages. There are frequent buses to Hythe and Lymington, and during the summer months the popular New Forest open-top tour bus is also in operation.
Take a look at some of our gorgeous holiday cottages in Beaulieu and start planning your New Forest getaway.
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