Buckler’s Hard
Beaulieu
Children will enjoy a picnic by the quay, a visit to a shipbuilders house, donkeys, a river cruise and a play area on this walk.
There are always lots of boats to see at Bucklers Hard quay
The Basics
Time: 1 hour each way
Distance: 3.5 km each way
Terrain: Flat and well surfaced paths with a few optional diversions along boardwalks.
Pushchairs: The whole route is suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs need to be on leads for much of the walk.
Refreshments: The Captain’s Table in Bucklers Hard serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon teas, there are plenty of picnic benches by the quay or lots of choices in Beaulieu, including ice-cream stores.
Toilets: In the car park at Beaulieu or at Buckler’s Hard by the café.
Public Transport: The Morebus Service 112 from Hythe to Lymington stops in the centre of Beaulieu.
Parking: If starting from Buckler’s Hard, there is a car park with pay on exit machines (Postcode: SO42 7XB - W3W: ///sweetener.crisp.recoup). If starting from Beaulieu use the pay and display car park off Palace Lane (Postcode: SO42 7YE - W3W: ///alike.melt.create)
The picturesque street of shipbuilder’s cottages at Bucklers Hard
This is a linear walk that follows the banks of the River Beaulieu from the picturesque ship building hamlet of Buckler’s Hard, with its cottages running down to the quay, to the popular New Forest village of Beaulieu. There is plenty to do at either end with museums, boat cruises, picnic areas, gift shops and a play area.
The Route
This is a linear walk that can be started in Beaulieu or Buckler’s Hard. You will need to pay for parking at either end, so it really depends on which location you want to have as your halfway point. It is a very well signposted walk, making it very easy to follow. Because of this, our guide will just give an overview and point out some of the things to look out for.
If starting from Buckler’s Hard, the trail begins just beyond the point where the boat cruises leave from. You will initially need to turn left and then right to get around the marina, but from then onwards the walk is pretty much a straight line.
If starting from Beaulieu, the trail begins from the high street and is signposted beside Norris Gifts and Furnishings. Go through the little gate and walk past the school.
There is a small play area beside the path opposite the school in Beaulieu.
When the walk travels parallel to the river, there are a couple of chances to divert off the main path and walk right next to the river. This is worth doing for the view of the water and does not add much distance to the journey.
Near Buckler’s Hard there is a boardwalk leading to a bird hide.
There is plenty to do in Beaulieu with sweet shops, ice-cream shops, tea rooms and pubs, as well as the resident donkeys who you will usually find somewhere on the grassy banks of the river or pretty millpond. Of course, there is also the famous motor museum and Palace House.
Buckler’s Hard village is free to enter and anyone can access the quay, picnic benches, shop and toilets. It is also free to go inside one of the shipbuilder’s cottages, workshop and the chapel. The museum will incur an entrance fee. You can also pay for a half hour river cruise, which we highly recommend for views of the village from the water and wildlife spotting opportunities - we saw two seals on our ride.
Did you know?
Buckler's Hard was where Sir Francis Chichester began and finished his solo voyage around the world in the Gypsy Moth IV, becoming the first person to single-handedly circumnavigate the world.
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