Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beaulieu (5 miles southeast of Lyndhurst and 14 miles southwest of Southampton).
&
01590/612345.
www.beaulieu.co.uk. Admission £17 adults, £15 seniors and students, £9.75 children 13-17, £8.75 children
5-12, £45 family ticket. June-Sept daily 10am-6pm; Oct-May daily 10am-5pm. Closed Dec 25. Bus: 112
from Lymington or Hythe (Mon-Sat only).
Buckler's Hard
HISTORIC SITE Two parallel, unassuming rows of 18th-
century shipwrights' cottages, tumbling down to the banks of the tidal River Beaulieu,
are all that's left of one of the most significant shipyards in British history. It was here
that much of Nelson's fleet was built, including the admiral's favorite ship,
Agamem-
non,
as well as
Eurylus
and
Swiftsure.
The Maritime Museum exhibits focus on the
village's shipbuilding history; on Henry Adams, master shipbuilder, who lived in the
cottage closest to the dock (now the Master Builder's House Hotel; see below); and
on models of Sir Francis Chichester's yachts.
The walk back to Beaulieu, 2
1
⁄
2
miles through the woodland along the riverbank, is
well marked.
Buckler's Hard.
&
01590/616203.
www.bucklershard.co.uk. Admission £5.95 adults, £5.60 seniors,
£4.30 children 5-17, £18 family ticket. River cruise (Easter-Oct only) £4.50 adults, £4 seniors, £2.50
children, £11 family ticket. Nov-Feb daily 10am-4:30pm; Mar-June and Sept-Oct daily 10am-5pm;
July-Aug daily 10am-5:30pm.
IN NEARBY CHRISTCHURCH
Christchurch Priory
CHURCH The founding stones of this imposing, yet
intimate sacred space were laid in the first decades after the Norman conquest of
England. The rounded arches of the nave arcades are typical of an Augustinian priory
church dating to the 1090s, but the Great Quire and Lady Chapel, separated by a
magnificent stone
Quire Screen
dating to 1320, are products of the later Gothic
style. Protruding from the wall above the ambulatory is the priory's so-called “Miracu-
lous Beam,” placed there by a mysterious carpenter said to be the resurrected Jesus
Christ himself—hence the church's (and town's) re-christening in the 12th century.
Quay Rd., Christchurch.
&
01202/485804.
www.christchurchpriory.org. Free admission (£3 donation
appreciated). Mon-Sat 9:30am-5pm, Sun 2:15-5:30pm; closes 1 hr. earlier in winter months.
Where to Eat
The Pig
MODERN BRITISH There's a distinctive food philosophy at this
innovative restaurant with rooms that opened in mid-2011. It's one based firmly
on New Forest produce, vegetables from their own garden, home-cured meats, and
foraged ingredients where available—all sourced from within 15 miles, prepared
with minimum fuss by head chef James Golding, and served in a Victorian green-
house. Menus change daily, but expect the likes of Beaulieu pheasant with thyme
roasted root vegetables and sloe sauce, or filet of Lymington plaice with Dorset
clams and pink fur potatoes.
Beaulieu Rd., Brockenhurst.
&
01590/622354.
www.limewoodgroup.co.uk. Reservations required. Main
courses £13-£20; fixed-price 2-course lunch (Mon-Sat) £13. MC, V. Daily noon-2pm and 7:30-9:30pm.
Where to Stay
Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa
A gracious country house on the fringe of
the New Forest National Park, Chewton Glen is among the finest places to stay in
southwest England (with princely rates to match). Accommodations vary widely and
come in different shapes, sizes, and period styles, but all are luxurious. In the old
house, a magnificent staircase leads to well-furnished double rooms opening onto
7
