Rhubarb
Cottage, The Custards, Lyndhurst, Hampshire
Places of Interest
Images of The New Forest,
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Beaulieu
is situated in the S.E. of the New Forest and can be reached via Lyndhurst
(B3056), Hythe (B3054), Brockenhurst (B3055) or Lymington (B3054).
The name Beaulieu is derived from the Latin
"Bellus Locus" meaning beautiful place. The estate has been
in Lord Montague's family since 1538 and has been a Motor Museum since
1952 and this is probably what most visitors come to see. However it is
worth taking the time to wander through the village streets to browse
the interesting shops and houses, which include antique shops, gift shops,
a pottery and quaint little tea rooms. A picnic on the village green is
invariably shared by the resident donkeys !!
Beaulieu Abbey was built in 1204 and partly
destroyed in the Dissolution and now houses an exhibition of monastic
life.
As you wander through the village you will
no doubt notice that some of the cottage doors are painted red whilst
others are not. The red doored cottages signify that they still belong
to the Montague Estate.
Bournemouth
is an easy drive from Lyndhurst. The town has a lot to offer the day visitor
with a vast selection of shops, numerous cinemas and theatres, an Oceanarium
together with all the hustle and bustle attractions we have come to expect
of a major seaside holiday resort.
One of Bournemouth's major features, especially in the summer months,
is the lower pleasure gardens which is a riot of colour.
On certain evenings during the summer school holiday period there are
firework displays and a festival of flowers where children can light the
candle displays, but get there early to avoid the queues. Not to be missed
is a trip on the Tethered Helium Balloon situated in the lower pleasure
gardens.
Also in the area and well worth visiting is Compton Acres gardens.
Salisbury is a medieval city and
lies to the north of The New Forest.
Formally known as Old Sarum, this was the home of Iron age tribes, Romans,
Saxons and Normans for over 5000 years. After the Norman Conquest in 1066,
William the Conqueror was a frequent visitor to Old Sarum and part of
the Doomsday Book was actually written here.
Salisbury is probably most famous for it's Cathedral and is a must for
the visitor. It has the tallest spire at 404 ft., an original Magna Carta
dating back to 1215, Europe's oldest working clock (1386) and Britain's
largest Cathedral Close. Built between 1220 and 1258 the Cathedral has
recently spent a number of years undergoing major conservation work and
this has now finished.
Salisbury has a sprawling shopping centre with both small, quaint, backstreet
shops as well as large department stores. The town centre is host to a
market every Tuesday and Saturday but be warned, parking can be a nightmare
on those days.
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