The New Forest and surrounding area is dotted with a number of historic buildings that are well worth a day trip or visit during your escape!
Ranging from sea forts to palaces, they are steeped in history, and many are as impressive today as when they were first built! Do delve in below to discover our round-up of the best sites to see whilst planning your stay…
National Trust Properties Near the New Forest
The National Trust looks after a number of gorgeous properties around the South Coast, all within easy reach of the New Forest, and ideal for summer strolls & rainy-day excursions! Our top three include:
Maud Russell made Mottisfont her home in the 1930s, bringing artists here to relax and create works inspired by Mottisfont’s past. This includes an extraordinary drawing-room painted by Rex Whistler in the trompe l’oeil style. The artistic traditions continue today, with a permanent 20th-century art collection and major exhibitions in the top-floor gallery.
Outside, carpets of spring bulbs, a stunning walled rose garden, rich autumn leaves and a colourful winter garden make Mottisfont a feast for the senses all year round. They also have a world-famous collection of old-fashioned roses which flower once a year in June. Winding paths meander through stately trees and along a river, which is a lovely countryside walk.
Explore the vast 8,500 acres of estate, featuring Iron Age hill forts, colourful heathland, water meadows and the world’s oldest pedigree herd of Red Ruby Devon cattle.
Kingston Lacy has a dynamic history. Over centuries, the Bankes family built, altered, embellished and rebuilt their house.
A Victorian fort built in 1862 for a war that never took place, it became known as one of ‘Palmerston’s Follies’ after the politician who commissioned it, but was called into action during both World Wars.
Follow the underground tunnel as it twists and turns deep into the chalky cliffs, and you’ll find a searchlight emplacement with views high above the Needles rocks and as far as Dorset on a clear day.
Historic Houses Near the New Forest
What’s not to love about a historic house? Find out all the stories of past and present owners and why the houses were first built; explore the local land and all the gorgeous walks on each estate to see the houses in all their glory; and discover a new area of the South Coast at the same time!
Overlooking the picturesque Beaulieu River millpond, Palace House was remodelled and extended during the 1800s and is now a fine example of a Victorian country house.
Inside, its ecclesiastical heritage sets the grand Gothic tone for a home bristling with character and adorned with family treasures, portraits, and memorabilia. Plus the Beaulieu Motor Museum and Beaulieu Abbey are all right there, so that is enough to fill the whole day!
Osborne House reflects Queen Victoria and Prince Albert’s passions, tastes and style. Ornate furnishings and artefacts from The Royal Collection fill rooms and corridors where Victoria entertained heads of state, inventors, princes and princesses and ruled the vast British Empire. The views of the Solent are pretty spectacular- we can see why Queen Victoria decided to set up base here!
The house is a fine example of mid-Georgian English architecture, standing serenely in picturesque parkland. Its owners and many of its important visitors have helped to shape the course of history. Today it is a working estate and the family home of the Mountbatten family. House tours are available from April, so make sure to book in advance!
Standing within the beautiful Breamore estate near Fordingbridge, Breamore House is an Elizabethan mansion completed in 1583. Built in the distinctive Tudor style, the Grade II* listed house retains its characteristic E-shaped plan, brickwork and stone detailing, giving visitors a real sense of its Elizabethan origins. Although the house suffered a serious fire in 1856, it was extensively restored while retaining much of its original character.
The estate has remained the home of the Hulse family since 1748, when it was purchased by Sir Edward Hulse, and the house, grounds and surrounding village form part of a particularly rich historic landscape. A visit can also be combined with seeing the nearby Saxon church of St Mary’s.
Exbury Gardens & House is a fascinating place to visit for anyone interested in historic houses, gardens and the people who shaped the landscape. Exbury House was remodelled and enlarged between 1919 and 1922.
The gardens are particularly impressive in spring, when the rhododendrons and azaleas provide some of their most spectacular displays, alongside camellias, magnolias and a huge variety of other trees and shrubs. Today, a visit offers the chance to combine the history of a grand country estate with a walk through one of the New Forest area’s most distinctive gardens.
If you’re looking for a unique place to stay in the New Forest, you can even book to stay at The Rotunda in Exbury House!
For something a little different from the grand country houses of the New Forest, Buckler’s Hard offers a fascinating glimpse into the area’s maritime past. This historic village sits on the banks of the Beaulieu River and was an important shipbuilding village, taking advantage of the surrounding New Forest timber and the sheltered waters of the river.
More than 50 wooden ships were built here for the Royal Navy, using wood from New Forest trees, including HMS Agamemnon, HMS Euryalus and HMS Swiftsure, all of which went on to fight at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Today, the two rows of historic red-brick cottages that line the wide street towards the river give Buckler’s Hard much of its distinctive character. Many of the buildings date from the 18th and early 19th centuries. Visitors can explore the historic village and maritime museum, while the riverside setting makes it an enjoyable place to combine history with a walk along the Beaulieu River.
Castles Near the New Forest
This stretch of coast used to be one of the most fortified in the UK and there’s still a heavy naval presence up the coast in Hampshire. Southampton and Portsmouth both have deep water ports, with the latter acting as the UK’s Navy HQ.
Some forts are situated out in the deep waters of the Solent and the English Channel and can be clearly seen from the shore. Why not explore…
Highcliffe Castle is more of a 19th-century Gothic-style stately home than a castle, located on the outskirts of Christchurch in Dorset. It now has a Grade I listed status, after being bought by the local council and restored in the 1990s, after two fires in the 1970s rendered it derelict. What makes this such a special place is the woodland walk down to the beach, so you can pretend for the day that you are Lord and Lady of the castle, off for a stroll and picnic on your very own beach!
Calshot Castle is a circular sea battlement that has been employed through several wars since it was built in the 1500s. This impressive fort was built for Henry VIII to protect the mouth of Southampton Water from enemies. It is part of the former RAF and Navy base at Calshot, where TE Lawrence once served.
Located on the corner of Southampton Water, which flows into the Solent, it’s in the perfect spot to watch the boats and ships pass by, providing hours of entertainment for maritime lovers.
Hurst Castle is a must-see if you like nature reserves and a decent walk. The castle stands at the end of a gravel peninsula that extends out into the mouth of the Solent. On the land side, there’s an expansive bird reserve and on the other are the deep Solent waters. The Isle of Wight is at its closest to the mainland here, and you can marvel at the iconic Needles.
The castle itself is steeped in history, having been built in 1544 for Henry VIII as part of a row of sea defences. Famously, Charles I was imprisoned here before his grisly execution. More recently, it was used in WWII by soldiers protecting the coastline from any enemy advances!
Exploring the historic houses, estates and heritage sites around the New Forest is a wonderful way to discover the area. If you’d like to see more of the region at your own pace, booking a holiday cottage in the New Forest makes an ideal base. With a choice of cottages in and around the forest, you can enjoy days out exploring Hampshire’s rich history before returning to your own comfortable retreat in the evening. Whether you’re planning a weekend break or a longer stay, a New Forest holiday gives you plenty of opportunities to combine beautiful countryside with fascinating places to visit.
Exbury Gardens & House, Exbury
Hurst Castle