Beaulieu is said to be the most beautiful and historically rich village in the New Forest, and we’d happily agree. Small, quaint and beautifully kept, Beaulieu retains a charm and atmosphere of a bygone era. The little high street highlighted with cobbles is lined (as is much of the village) with houses, cottages and buildings dating back to the 16th Century.
You’ll find all the provisions you need for your holiday in the village, with traditional shops, gift shops, tearooms, pub and delicatessen, plus a spectacularly scrumptious chocolate studio. Half way up the high street, you’ll come across New Forest Activities, who offer a range of activities including bike hire and archery. They are the only providers with permits to provide tours along the privately owned Beaulieu River in 2-3 seat canoes and kayaks.
Upon entering the village, you’ll pass a large mill pond and on the right a privately owned garage with a display of wonderful vintage and classic cars for sale. To the left and right are grassy banks dotted with free roaming ponies, donkeys and occasionally cattle. You’ll often see more animals wandering around the high street and the village car park. There are also grassy areas for picnics on the northern side of the river and mill pond in front of the Palace House grounds.
There are some terrific places to eat in Beaulieu. The Royal Oak keeps a collection of well-kept real ales to serve with country pub style food. The Old Bakehouse Tearooms serve homely food and cream teas in a quaint dining room lined with atmospheric old baking ovens. Steff's Kitchen at Fairweathers Garden Centre (well worth a look around) prepares home-cooked dishes, cakes and light bites using local produce and products.
Beaulieu is home to the National Park's most popular attraction - the National Motor Museum, Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey - collectively known as just ‘Beaulieu’. The massive 7000 acre Beaulieu Estate encompasses much of the parish including the entire Beaulieu River, the largest privately owned tidal river in the UK.
Look across the pond from the village and you will see Palace House, home of the Montagu family who have lived here since 1538. The house is open for tours and visits which are full of interesting rooms crammed full with artworks and stately treasures.
The enormous Beaulieu Abbey, founded by King John in 1204, was once a prosperous entity run by Cistercian monks. The mill pool and dam was created by the monks who needed water power to drive their corn mill, and the Abbey thrived for centuries until Henry VIII in 1538 had it destroyed.
The Motor Museum is one of England’s top attractions with something to appeal to everyone. The museum houses over 250 vehicles with special exhibitions and events such as James Bond and Top Gear collections.
Beaulieu estate and surrounding areas attract wealthy house owners with some absolutely amazing properties, some of which can often be seen when walking or cycling. During the Second World War around 3,000 SOE (Special Operations Executive) agents came to the Beaulieu area, staying in a number of country houses before returning to occupied Europe to work with Resistance groups.
A couple of miles along Beaulieu River is Buckler's Hard. It’s a little hamlet of houses neighbouring the historic ship building yard, which is now a museum with indoor and outdoor exhibits about its history and heritage. It was here that naval boats were built to defeat the Armada in 1588.
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