A salty town with cobbles and yachts
Lymington, on the forest’s southern edge, feels at once maritime and rustic. Wander its Georgian High Street, paved with handsome cobblestones, and you can smell the salt in the air long before you catch sight of the water. It’s a town that seems to live by the rhythm of the tides.
A proper seafaring settlement with roots going back to the 12th century, Lymington grew rich on salt-making and shipbuilding. Even today, the salty breeze wafts up from the marina where yachts clink against their moorings and ferries steam off to the Isle of Wight.
The Saturday street market is a delight, full of local produce and chattering browsers, and there are plenty of pubs and restaurants with terraces that offer views across the Lymington River. Beyond the town, the coast path winds past mudflats alive with birds and stretches of unspoilt salt marsh.
And if you feel like cooling off, the sea water baths, built in 1833 and fed by the tide, offer one of the most bracing swims in England. Lymington is a town with a salty, breezy charm that stays with you long after you’ve gone home.
Useful Information
Location
South edge of the New Forest, Hampshire coast, gateway to the Isle of Wight.
Getting There
Lymington Town and Lymington Pier railway stations connect to Brockenhurst. Accessible by car via the A337.
When to Visit
Year-round — explore quayside in summer, birdwatch on the marshes in autumn, or warm up in a pub by the fire in winter.
What to See and Do
• Browse Lymington’s Saturday street market
• Wander the cobbled Georgian High Street
• Walk the Solent Way along the salt marshes
• Take the ferry to the Isle of Wight
• Swim at the historic sea water baths
More Information
Visit Lymington and the New Forest
