Beaulieu Visitors Hospitality Guide

The village of Beaulieu is well worth a visit with it's wonderful attractions located in the area, visitors who wish to vacation in the locale of Beaulieu will be pleased with the hospitality and accommodation which is on offer providing a great holiday destination for short breaks as well as longer holiday destinations.

Discover Beaulieu which is situated in Hampshire, a village which has charm and retains it's unspoilt attractions. The local Cistercian abbey was founded in the year 1204 by King John who had it designed with wonderful features. When Henry the third presented himself for the dedication of the abbey in 1246 in his moment of happiness he reprieved the abbot from a ﬁne which was imposed on him for poaching in the New Forest.
Beaulieu has a wonderful situation amongst woods and hills sited on the Beaulieu River, and was for many years important, providing sanctuary for the Lancastrian Margaret of Anjou, Perkin Warbeck, pretender to the throne at the time of Henry VII as well as others.

Later with the Dissolution a great deal of the church was destroyed and the stones from it were carried off to build such places as Hurst Castle.
presently the abbey is a beautiful interesting ruin with only the foundations carefully marked out providing the dimensions of the church. The gatehouse has well preserved 13th century construction, and the l4th century great gatehouse over the years has become the grander Palace House.

In the grounds you can find the Montagu Motor Museum, which was opened in 1952 by Lord Montagu dedicated to the memory of his father who was an earlier car enthusiast. The museum contains a unique collection of vintage vehicles ranging from cars, bicycles, motorcycles, as well as a Spitﬁre.
The outer wall and four towers were added in the 18th century for security as a protection against French privateers. The lay brothers dormitory which is a large room creating a space some one hundred feet long and has now been
restored.

The old refectory has now become a museum which contains headstones, tiles along with a model of the abbey from it's earlier days and you will find that the cellar below has been turned into a restaurant, with the ancient washroom in the same location..
Take note of the three arches that formed part of the cloisters and the chapter house which are of great beauty and with the abbey refectory which faces from the north to south instead of the usual east to west has now become the church. It provides a spacious room, with lancet windows, and is chieﬂy remarkable for its stone pulpit, from which a monk used to read to his brothers during meals.
Outside is situated the old wine press which still remains to this day, and to the north west you can find the l3th century Conduit House, which was used to supply the water.
The destination is well worth a visit with the abbey, including Palace House and the Motor Museum, is open to the public.
One mile west of Beaulieu is the location of Hatchet Pond which is one of only a few inland lakes that exist in Hampshire, lying in moorland on Beaulieu Heath.

Bucklers Hard which is located some two miles to the south and consists of just one broad street ﬂanked by charming terraced 18th century houses. There was once an attempt to make Bucklers Hard into a port. Later in the 18th century
it became a ship building centre, and the great New Forest oaks were felled to build some of the ships that fought at Trafalgar. There is a Maritime Museum located their.
At St Leonards, a little to the south of Bucklers Hard along a pretty country road you will find the remains of the great abbey barn. Since the lower part of the north wall remains intact, as does a gable in the east wall, it is possible to gain some idea of its massive size. The ruined Chapel of St Leonard, built about 1300, also lies their.