Beaulieu, Hampshire
Beaulieu (pronounced BYOO-lee) is a small
village located on the south eastern edge of the
New Forest national park in
Hampshire,
England.
Palace House (not to be confused with the
Palace of Beaulieu in Essex), which overlooks the village from across
Beaulieu River, began in 1204 as the gatehouse to
Beaulieu Abbey, and has been the ancestral home of the a branch of the
Montagu family since 1538, when it was bought from the crown following the
Dissolution of the Monasteries by
Henry VIII. The house was extended in the 16th century, and again in the 19th century, and is today a fine example of a gothic country house. Although still home to the current Lord and Lady Montagu, parts of the house and gardens are open daily to the public. It is a member of the
Treasure Houses of England consortium.
The village is also home to the British
National Motor Museum. The
museum, opened as the Montagu Motor Museum in 1952, becoming a charitable trust in 1972, contains an important collection of historic motor vehicles, including four world land speed record holders: Sir
Malcolm Campbell's 1924 Blue-Bird and son
Donald Campbell's 1964 Bluebird CN7, plus the 1927
Sunbeam 1000HP (the first
motor car to reach 200 miles per hour) and the 1929 Irving-Napier Special 'Golden Arrow', both driven by Major
Henry Segrave.
The picturesque hamlet of
Bucklers Hard, with its
Georgian cottages running down to the
Beaulieu river is part of the 9000 acre (36 km²) Beaulieu Estate. It was the birthplace of many British naval vessels, including many of
Admiral Nelson's fleet, using the timber of the New Forest. The industry declined in the 19th-century and today the hamlet is given over to tourism, with a small maritime museum, and a modern yachting
marina. Bucklers Hard was where
Sir Francis Chichester began and finished his single-handed voyage around the world in
Gipsy Moth IV.
Beaulieu village has remained largely unspoilt by progress, and is a favourite tourist stop for visitors to the New Forest, and also for birders seeking local specialities like
Dartford Warbler,
Honey Buzzard and
Hobby. The nearest railway station is
Beaulieu Road, which is located several miles away on the
London-Weymouth main line, and has a notoriously infrequent service (3 trains per day being typical), timed to be of use to locals working elsewhere, but consequently being unhelpful to those wanting to visit the area by train; visitors should use the stations at
Brockenhurst or
Ashurst instead. Brockenhurst is on the same line as Beaulieu Road Station but the next stop west. Brockenhurst is six miles away from Beaulieu, as opposed to Beaulieu Road Station, which is four miles away.
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Population figures*
National Motor Museum
