Beaulieu to Buckler's Hard by the river

From the car park in Beaulieu the walk follows the Solent Way south-east out of the village, through fields to Bailey's Hard, where bricks were once made by the river. It goes on through the woods and along the edge of the salt marsh at Keeping, with boardwalks over the wet ground, to Buckler's Hard, a single wide street of 18th-century cottages running down to the water, where ships were built for Nelson's fleet. The walk comes back the same way.

It is 7.2 km with 18 m of ascent; allow about 2 hours. The grade is Easy. It is flat, on gravel paths and woodland tracks.

Buckler's Hard is run by the Beaulieu Estate, which charges for its maritime museum and historic cottages. The paths are muddy in winter. New riverside loops have been made to protect wildlife: follow the signs. Keep dogs on leads near the marsh.

The car park in Beaulieu village is pay and display. There is no station near; the nearest is Beaulieu Road, about 6 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.