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Sailing on the River Beaulieu - Photo:
Jim Champion
CCL |
It may be tiny but this
secluded hamlet has quite a tale to tell. It
lies on the Beaulieu River and for a short
time was a major shipbuilding centre where
4,000 men toiled to build some 40 oak-hulled
fighting vessels for Lord Nelson – including
Nelson’s favourite ship, Agamemnon - in the
Napoleonic War.
The village was created by John, Duke of
Montagu as part of an ill-fated plan to lead
an expedition to the West Indies. Today it is
an important centre for leisure sailing. A
maritime museum adds to the sea-faring flavour
while the Master Builder’s House Hotel was
once the home of the area’s most prominent
shipbuilder, Henry Adams. Two cottages have
been turned into ‘living’ museums to show what
life was like in the 18th century. |
