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About the Heritage Harbour:

Buckler’s Hard is a perfectly preserved historic 18th centuary shipbuilding village on the banks of the unspoilt Beaulieu River on the North Solent shore. The village has a visitor centre and Maritime Museum, a Shipwrights cottage and chapel, where you can learn about the village’s shipbuilding history, smuggling secrets, WW2 stories and the people who lived there. The village has a modern marina, working boatyard and moorings and from Easter to October visitors can take the 30-minute Beaulieu river cruise to get on the water and see the beautiful historic setting, natural beauty and rich wildlife.

Maritime Visitor Attractions:

  • Working vessels - Historic vessels on river, including River cruise tour boat
  • Static vessels – Historic vessels on river
  • Heritage boatyards and specialists, Yacht Harbour, Marina and Mooring with historic vessels
  • Historic buildings – Complete unspolit and unchanged 18th century village
  • River/coastal environment & walks, River Cruise, riverside walk footpath to Beaulieu
  • Museum/visitor centre – Buckler’s Hard Visitor Centre and Maritime Museum
  • Other - 18th century Shipwright museum cottage, Shipwrights workshop, historic slipways,
  • Unspolit privately owned river with river side walk footpath

In the Past:

Bucklers Hard village was first developed in the 1720’s by John 2nd Duke of Montagu as a sugar import town but his venture failed leaving a wide street of houses going down to the river edge. The site was perfect for shipbuilding and having proximity to woods and timber in the surrounding New Forest.  The first ship for the Navy was built in 1698, and from 1754 the whole village was leased to Henry Adams to build ships on contract for the Royal Navy. Between 1745 and 1820 around 50 large ships were built for the Royal Navy including 3 that fought at the Battle of Trafalgar. The shipyard built many famous ships, HMS Agamemnon 1781, Swiftsure 1804, Euryalas 1803 as well as merchant ships and later yachts.

The shipyard had 5 launchways and a quay, timber sheds, a forge, sawpits, workshops, and a workforce of around 200 men. The ships once built were towed to Portsmouth for fitting out with rigging, armament, stores etc and quickly readied for service.

After the end of the Napoleonic wars and the advent of iron ships the shipyard slowly declined. But in WW2 the river and village had a huge role in the build-up to D-day with the building of the Mulberry harbours, Minesweepers and repairs to Motor Torpedo Boats.

Now and the Future:

Buckler’s Hard historic riverside village is open every day of the year and is free to visit.

There is a large car park (charges apply) and yacht marina if coming by boat.

The village has a Café, the Captain’s table, The Master Builders House Hotel and riverside restaurant and Yachtsman’s bar, a Visitor Centre and Maritime Museum, Chapel, Historic display cottages and Shipwrights Workshop and exhibitions. There is a charming riverside walk footpath to Beaulieu 2½ miles along the river’s edge. There are daily 30-minute river cruises from April – October.

Contacts and Links:

W: Bucklers Hard
T: 01590 616203

W: Beaulieu River
01590 616200