On the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, this bustling small town has lots to offer incuding the longest wooden pier in England dating back to 1875. You will also find some lovely cafes, an eclectic range of boutique shops, cobbled streets and a fabulous Tudor Castle. The Wightlink ferry arrives and departs to and from Lymington here and it's a great place to watch yachts and ships sail by.
Barton-on-Sea is known for its beauty spots with breathtaking coastal walks and seaside scenery worth a walk at any time of year. The beach is safe for swimming and good for fossiling forays.
This coastal strip gets sandier the more the tide goes out, but it otherwise characteristically shingle. There are large coastal defenses to keep eroision to a minimum but there are plenty of fossils to be found as a result. With grassy cliffs to picnic on in full view of the Needles, its a great walking destination with facilities for all, including the dogs.
A bijou village that grew around the original Abbey at the head of the Beaulieu River. An ancient and pretty monastery village, home to the country's National Motor Museum.
Ancient Abbey ruins were the centre of the village settlement and imparted its name. Now, Palace House is home to the Montagu family and there are exhibitions of monastic life with grounds and gardens to get lost in. Oh, and the famous motor museum of course.
Everything motoring is covered but even if you're not an enthusiast, there are some lovely specimens on display, set in stunning grounds.
Come for the sea views, stay for the food - stunning views of the Solent for a fine dining experience.
This pub prides itself on being the only pie pub in Lymington and you can also enjoy cask ales. Dogs are welcome in the bar area and garden as are children and all major sporting events are shown live on Sky and BT Sport.
A coffee shop offering a range of hot beverages to accompany home baked cakes, deserts and savory options. A take away service is also available and there's also jewellery, hand crafted gifts and sweets; perfect presents to take home.
One of the larger New Forest villages, surrounded by open heathland and woodland walks, there's a 'watersplash' where wild beasts of the bovine and equine varieties congregate having wandered the streets of this olde worlde town.
A few years ago, the Classic Cottages team started writing about where we live and why we love it. Over time these have evolved into the Classic Guide.
2 November 2022
On the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight, this bustling small town has lots to offer incuding the longest wooden pier in England dating back to 1875. You will also find some lovely cafes, an eclectic range of boutique shops, cobbled streets and a fabulous Tudor Castle. The Wightlink ferry arrives and departs to and from Lymington here and it's a great place to watch yachts and ships sail by.
Barton-on-Sea is known for its beauty spots with breathtaking coastal walks and seaside scenery worth a walk at any time of year. The beach is safe for swimming and good for fossiling forays.
This coastal strip gets sandier the more the tide goes out, but it otherwise characteristically shingle. There are large coastal defenses to keep eroision to a minimum but there are plenty of fossils to be found as a result. With grassy cliffs to picnic on in full view of the Needles, its a great walking destination with facilities for all, including the dogs.
A bijou village that grew around the original Abbey at the head of the Beaulieu River. An ancient and pretty monastery village, home to the country's National Motor Museum.
Ancient Abbey ruins were the centre of the village settlement and imparted its name. Now, Palace House is home to the Montagu family and there are exhibitions of monastic life with grounds and gardens to get lost in. Oh, and the famous motor museum of course.
Everything motoring is covered but even if you're not an enthusiast, there are some lovely specimens on display, set in stunning grounds.
Come for the sea views, stay for the food - stunning views of the Solent for a fine dining experience.
This pub prides itself on being the only pie pub in Lymington and you can also enjoy cask ales. Dogs are welcome in the bar area and garden as are children and all major sporting events are shown live on Sky and BT Sport.
A coffee shop offering a range of hot beverages to accompany home baked cakes, deserts and savory options. A take away service is also available and there's also jewellery, hand crafted gifts and sweets; perfect presents to take home.
One of the larger New Forest villages, surrounded by open heathland and woodland walks, there's a 'watersplash' where wild beasts of the bovine and equine varieties congregate having wandered the streets of this olde worlde town.