Bed and Breakfasts in Hythe & Dibden Purlieu
B and Bs in the Waterside villages
The Four Seasons
AA 4 star, 12 bedroom guest house with several family rooms as well as
singles twins and doubles. Comfortable and well-run B&B.
Includes free Wifi broadband. Ideal for ferry across to
West Quay shopping in Southampton. Also ideal for Beaulieu Motor
Museum and weddings at Beaulieu Abbey.
www.the-four-seasons.co.uk |
The 'Waterside Villages' are a collection of individual settlements to the east of the New Forest, each with its own unique character. Some area on the edge of the New Forest, others along the western shoreline of Southampton Water. There is a frequent foot passenger ferry link between Hythe and Southampton (15 minutes) which is very useful for shopping trips to the West Quay Mall and saves the hassle of driving in the city.
ELING
Home to one the last remaining operational tide mills. The mill, now fully restored, grinds flour as it has for centuries. The tide is controlled by sluices under a toll bridge. To the south of the bridge is St Mary's Church which dates from Saxon times. The mill is open to the public. www.elingtidemill.org.uk
HYTHE
This maritime town has witnessed the maiden voyages of many
famous liners including the Titanic in 1912, the Queen Mary and the
Queen Elizabeth in the thirties, the QE2 and the Oriana. Hythe is the
perfect spot to view of the modern liners coming in and out of port.
The QE2 berths almost opposite Hythe Marina.
Hythe has a pier with a unique ancient electric train running end to
end. The ferry across Southampton water to the city berths at
the end of the pier.
In the 1930s Hythe was the home of the British Power Boat Company,
producing high-speed craft. The most famous resident TE Lawrence
(Lawrence of Arabia) lived in Hythe whilst helping to test the RAF 200
Series powerboats.
Hythe also is the birthplace of the hovercraft. Design and testing
were carried out at The Grove in St John’s Street and its inventor
Sir Christopher Cockerell lived in the village.
The Hythe and Dibden Parish Council website has lots of details about the area -
www.hythe-hants.org.uk
Walks around Eling - totton-and-eling.demon.co.uk/eling.htm
Paultons Park Family Leisure Park - www.paultonspark.co.uk
Hythe Ferry - www.hytheferry.co.uk
British Military Powerboat Trust - www.bmpt.org.uk
CALSHOT
With its long shingle spit and impressive line of beach huts, Calshot
has panoramic views across the Solent to the Isle of Wight and is very
popular with windsurfers.
At the far end of the spit stands Calshot Castle, built in 1539 by
Henry VIII to protect the entrance to Southampton Water.
Together with the castles at Netley and Hamble it formed the defence
of what was, in the 15th and 16th Centuries, the 3rd largest port in
England.
The castle was badly damaged in Queen Elizabeth's reign but was
repaired using 127 oak trees from the New Forest. Calshot castle
remained a fully manned artillery base until early in the 20th
Century. It is now an English Heritage site.
In 1913, Calshot Spit area opened up as a navel air station and
originally housed the first sea planes. One of these sheds was the
Sopwith Hanger which still stands on the site today.
Castle visitors will pass Calshot Activity centre with its indoor
sports facilities including artificial climbing walls.
www.calshot.com The Centre is
housed in Sunderland Hanger (home to the famous Sunderland Flying
Boat) and former RAF seaplane hangars from which Spitfire designer RJ
Mitchell’s Supermarine won the Schneider Trophy in 1931.
LEPE COUNTRY PARK
Lepe occupies a narrow stretch of land with superb views of the Solent
and Isle of Wight.
Lepe is approx 5 miles south of Beaulieu near Exbury.
It lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The area is
popular for summer relaxation, bird watching, windsurfing,
sea-fishing, and bracing walks along the shoreline.
There is a cafeteria (9am-5 pm, daily in summer), information centre
& gift shop, toilets (inc disabled), children's play area,
dog-free and dog-welcome beaches and car parking.
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