Buckler's Hard is located on England's south coast, four miles up the River Beaulieu. The river is accessed from the western Solent, where it begins its winding journey through the New Forest. Buckler's Hard serves as the administrative hub for the river and features a fully serviced walk-ashore marina, mid-river pontoons, and moorings, along with numerous boat facilities in an otherwise secluded location.

Set within the Solent and deep within the Beaulieu River, Bucklers Hard provides complete protection. Although the river has a moderately shallow sandbar that requires some draft consideration, access remains straightforward. It is essential to stay in the channel all the way to Bucklers Hard.

The river Beaulieu is best avoided by newcomers in developed southwesterly conditions of F5 or above. In these conditions, breakers are possible, and the acute turn to port in the entrance may be challenging. The recent addition of newly lit beacons and buoys makes the run up the river to Bucklers Hard possible at night.

Keyfacts for Buckler's Hard

Position and approaches

Haven position

50° 48.002' N, 001° 25.294' W

This is the end of the southwest most pontoon.

What is the initial fix?

This is set on the 324° T transit adjacent to the Yellow Buoy Fl.Y 4s (Mar - Oct), establishing the ideal approach to the Beaulieu Dolphin and, subsequently, to the entrance.

What are the key points of the approach?

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What's the story here?

Buckler's Hard is a historic hamlet situated on the western bank of the beautiful Beaulieu River about four miles upriver from the entrance. The river is part of the Beaulieu Estate and is one of the few privately owned rivers worldwide. Its private ownership and setting, within the heart of the New Forest National Park, have left it largely unspoilt, making it one of the Solent's quietest and most beautiful locations.




The Beaulieu River Harbour Master's offerings were expanded during a significant enlargement and redevelopment in 2024. This included connecting to the old mid-river pontoon (shown separated in our photography), which provided 66 new berths.

The Beaulieu River Harbour Master now offers two berthing options:

• • Secure a marina berth in Buckler's Hard Yacht Harbour, which features over 182 fully serviced marina berths, plus 46 visitor berths. It can accommodate vessels of up to 25 metres (82 ft.) LOA and has a maintained depth of 1.8 metres (6 ft.) below mean low water springs.


• • Picking up visitor mooring. More than 300 swinging moorings are available on the river, and those with a yellow pick-up buoy marked with a black 'V' plate are designated for visitors.

The marina berths and dedicated visitor moorings can be reserved in advance by contacting the Harbour Master's Office. This is manned 0800-2100 in summer; 0800-1800 in winter (0900-1800 weekends in winter) and are contactable by Ch. 68 [Beaulieu River Radio], +44 1590 616200, harbour.office@beaulieu.co.uk, www.beaulieuriver.co.uk. The helpful river staff will be encountered afloat during the summer, and they carry a list of suitable moorings, so they are delighted to assist.





It is always best to contact the Harbour Office 24 hours in advance to make berthing arrangements. This is particularly the case regarding walk-ashore berths in the marina that can be reserved in advance. At peak times, such as bank holidays, it is advisable to reserve a berth as far in advance as possible to avoid disappointment. Once reserved berths have been allocated, all vessels are dealt with on a first-come, first-served basis. All overnight visits in the marina must be pre-booked and paid for in advance.




With that said, it can generally be understood that visitor moorings marked with a yellow 'V' label may be freely picked up. If a designated visitor mooring cannot be found, using an unattended mooring with no tender is permissible. After doing so, the Harbour Office must be contacted immediately to confirm its availability. Please do not leave the vessel until it is confirmed that the mooring may be used. If, in the meantime, the mooring's owner returns, it should be vacated upon request.


2025 Season rates for visiting yachts, all vessels per meter, per vessel, per night, are as follows:

• • Walk Ashore Pontoon £5.35 inc electricity (short stay, between 12:00 and 15:30, £2.50)


• • River Moorings (upstream of Needs Ore) £3.00 (short stay £1.00)

The moorings inside the entrance near Gull Island and the Beaulieu River Sailing Club (1 – 8 marked with a white pickup buoy and a green 'V' plate) are only £15 per night, up to a max of 7 nights. Anchoring is possible in this area (between navigation piles 20 and 22) for £10 per night. The Harbourmaster requests overnight visitors to vacate their mooring/berth by midday.


Beaulieu River Sandbar
The entrance to the Beaulieu River, which leads up to Buckler's Hard, features a moderately shallow sandbar about 250 metres offshore near the river mouth. Although it is well covered and, thus, not overly restrictive, it remains an essential navigational consideration for vessels entering the river.




The bar's location is marked by a conspicuous port-hand tripod, called The Beaulieu Spit dolphin, Fl.R.5s, which makes its position unmistakable. Depths over the bar vary slightly according to the preceding winter storms. A reasonable expectation would be to find 1 metre over it at LW Springs. A more conservative measure to work a tidal calculation off would be 0.9 metres of water over it at CD, representing an extremely low water spring tide.

Therefore, it can be generally taken that the majority of leisure vessels can easily enter and exit the Beaulieu River by avoiding low water levels. Most visiting yachts will clear the bar by avoiding the two hours on either side of LW Springs or one hour on either side of LW Neaps. Moderate draft vessels carrying 1.5 metres only need to avoid making an entry an hour and a half on either side of LW Springs or an hour on either side of LW Neaps.




An applicable local rule of thumb for when it comes to departing Bucklers Hard. There is a hump in the channel just off the summer house, near the No. 26 pile and 600 metres below the marina, which is about the same as the bar. So if this is cleared, the bar will also be cleared.


Other Considerations
Newcomers should avoid the Beaulieu River in any south-westerly conditions approaching Force 5. A Force 5 and above running up The Solent could lead to breakers in the approach. It would also involve a very terse rounding up immediately within the narrow entrance, all executed with the appropriately named Stone Point being the lee shore.

In the past, no night entry should be made unless it is a bright full moon with very good visibility, and the entering vessel has the benefit of local knowledge. Even then, it was inadvisable. In 2019, the harbour office added several lights to the river on some of the piles and introduced six new lit buoys, all aimed at making it much easier to enter at night and proceed upriver to Bucklers Hard. Each light provides a safe bearing to the next without impediments from the banks.

This makes entry and the accent of the river possible at any time of day. All new marks can be found on the updated Navionics and Admiralty charts and recent almanacs. If there is any uncertainty at night, it is entirely possible to come in the entrance and pick up a mooring near Gull Island or anchor off and then continue up to Bucklers Hard the next day in daylight.

How to get in?

Refer to Western Approaches to the Solent for appropriate navigational guidance. The well-marked river entrance is located about ¾ of a mile westward of Stansore Point.

Local hazards for vessels approaching the entrance from the west include the mud banks off Warren Flat and Beaulieu Spit to the west. Shallow water extends out for ½ a mile to Lepe Middle, which has seasonal yellow spherical racing buoys moored on its perimeter. These should not be confused with the Raymarine Buoy, which marks the approach to the Beaulieu Spit dolphin and the entrance.

The dangers to the east of the entrance are Stone Point, marked by a south cardinal that should be avoided. Stone Point is the greater of the dangers, as Beaulieu Spit is largely sand and mud.

In both cases, it is best to stand off the shoreline and commence an approach from the initial fix.




The initial fix is adjacent to the yellow spherical Raymarine racing buoy, ⅓ of a mile from the Beaulieu Spit dolphin and ⅔ of a mile out from the Millennium Tower on the shoreline.



From there, it is essential to pick out the key features that mark the entrance to the River Beaulieu. In addition to the Millennium Tower, which will be obvious, the red-roofed Leap House, situated on the tower's west side, should be visible. A line of old coastguard cottages will be seen east of the tower, with a prominent white boathouse on the shoreline. After that, it is a matter of identifying the Beaulieu Spit dolphin and, most importantly, the Port Red No. 2 pile, which is the first pile from the dolphin.




From there, the traditional approach to the river entrance involves intercepting the well-established leading marks described on most charts and pilots. This corresponds to the 324° T alignment of the front Port red No. 2 pile on the left (west) side of Lepe House, which is situated on the shoreline within the entrance. The transit moves through the shallow water on either side of the leading line and then breaks off for the entrance when the No. 1 Beaulieu Spit dolphin is about 80 metres abeam.




However, this leading in alignment takes a few moments to work out, as there are a few structures to clarify on the shore, and it can be challenging to determine which beacon is the Port No. 2 pile.




Millennium Beacon - Lighthouse OC WRG 4s 13m 4/3 position: 50° 47.120'N, 001° 21.888'W

However, since the Millennium Tower has been established, this legacy approach to the entrance can overly complicate the navigation. With a good measure of water showing on the sounder, it is perfectly acceptable to steer from the initial fix, located 50 metres east of the Raymarine yellow spherical racing buoy, to pass 80 metres to port of the outermost Beaulieu Spit dolphin and then commence towards the Millennium Tower. By night, follow in the white sector, 334°T of the Dir Oc.WRG.4s Lt on the Millennium Beacon.

In all cases, the key is to maintain a constant track on the selected marks and not be pushed off course by the Solent's strong cross currents. Outside the entrance, these streams are generally eastbound on the flood and westbound on the ebb. The shallower water is on the west side of the approach path.




From 80 metres abrest and east of the Beaulieu Spit dolphin the path leads between substantial No. 1 / No. 2 piles that mark the channel entrance. They are located close north of Beaulieu Spit dolphin and are quickly followed by the closely spaced No. 3 / No. 4 and the No. 5 / No. 6, describing the channel behind. The Millennium Beacon will be seen in the middle. Once between the No. 1 / No. 2 piles, the channel deepens. The best water at the entrance will be found on the starboard side of the channel.




Within the entrance, the channel turns abruptly to port and proceeds west by southwest. It continues to be marked by substantial port and starboard-hand pile beacons for 1¼ miles as far as Needs Ore Point. Seven beacons exhibit lights at night, with the remaining piles carrying red and green reflectors. The green piles mark the mainland's north side of the channel. This commences as a shale beach at the foot of the Millennium Tower and then transitions to mud flats and marshland.




On the opposite southern side is the Beaulieu Spit, awash or drying and rising westward towards Needs Ore Point. It is possible to anchor or pick up Beaulieu River Harbour Master moorings in this first reach of the river as separately covered in the Gull Island entry.




Above Needs Ore Point, the river turns northwest for ¾ of a mile to the separately covered Gins Farm , home to Royal Southampton Yacht Club.




After Needs Ore Point, the channel is marked by red and green willow branches, known as withies, that stand at the edges of the channel. Withies are branches of willow, red for port and green for starboard, which are set into the riverbed to mark the edges of the navigable channel upstream towards Buckler's Hard.



A mid-channel approach through the increasing lines of moored vessels, which themselves serve to describe the lay of the channel and its deeper water.




The Royal Southampton Yacht Club midriver pontoon at Gins Farm, situated opposite their clubhouse and jetty on the western bank, should be passed to starboard.




From here, the lovely river continues northward for a mile. It begins to narrow as it winds between oak and beech-lined river banks. These tresses conceal enviable country houses set into this attractive wildlife reserve.




At the head of this mile-long northern reach, the narrowing wooded river swings hard to the west or port. Buckler's Hard reveals itself, nestled into a bend on the river's western shore. With the exception of the aforementioned mud patch 600 metres downstream of the marina and just off the summer house, near the No. 26 pile, a LWS depth of at least 1.8 metres can be found as far as Buckler's Hard.





Berth as directed by the harbour master's office on river moorings or alongside in the marina. If in doubt, come alongside the first long pontoon with the fuel berth at its head and the tenders on the inside. This leads to the marina office above.





After Buckler's Hard, the river begins to shallow. Between Buckler's Hard and Bailey's Hard, 1.6 miles upstream and made conspicuous by the tall brick chimney of the estate's old brickworks, the river has a least draft of 0.3 metres and is navigable for about eight hours daily.




The last mile to the quaint old world village of Beaulieu dries out to mud banks and can only be navigated at high water. It is possible to reach the village by dinghy at high water. Alternatively, there is a pleasant 2¼ miles gravelled forest footpath walk from Bucklers Hard to Beaulieu.

Why visit here?

The name Bucklers Hard was first recorded in 1768. It took its name from the Buckler family, who have been recorded as living there as early as 1664. The term 'hard', primarily used in Hampshire, was added to indicate this was a firm place that could be utilised for hauling boats out of the water.




The name Bucklers Hard, however, was nearly superseded by 'Montague Town' after the 2nd Duke of Montague. In 1720, he planned to establish a duty-free port focused on importing and exporting sugar from the West Indies. King George I had made him governor of the islands of St. Vincent and St. Lucia, and John was establishing an expeditionary force to secure his islands. Before his ships could reach the islands, the French captured and irrevocably secured them. With the loss of the islands, the plans for 'Montague Town' faded, and the name drifted back to its locally held 'Buckler's Hard'. Despite losing the free port, the location thrived by trading its ready supply of New Forest timber. In the 17th century, this ample supply of good English oak spawned a rural ship industry focused on constructing merchant and naval vessels.




The first naval vessel to be built on the Beaulieu River was the 48-gun Salisbury. This was constructed in 1698 at Baileys Hard, which is located 1.6 miles upriver, where a tall brick chimney is situated today, which dates back to a 1910-20 estate brickworks. Shipbuilding at Bucklers Hard gathered pace in 1744 when it came under the control of the master builder Henry Adams. He came to live in the house at the end of the terrace, now the 'Master Builder hotel and bar'.




Over the next sixty years, Adams and his descendants constructed more than 50 Royal Navy ships. The village's two rows of Georgian cottages accommodated shipwrights and labourers, and the broad open green was frequently filled with timber and shipbuilding activity. Many of Buckler Hard's ships served in Admiral Nelson's fleet, including HMS Euryalus, HMS Swiftsure, and HMS Agamemnon, all of which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar. The most famous of these ships must be Agamemnon, after which the Bucklers Hard boat yard is named today. Launched here in 1781, it was Admiral Lord Nelson's first command and his favourite ship. The wooden shipbuilding industry declined in the 19th century. The lines of picturesque Georgian cottages leading down to the River Beaulieu are preserved today just as they were during the shipbuilding heyday.




The River Beaulieu, pronounced bew-lee, took its name from the abbey to which it belonged. The Cistercian Abbey was founded in the present village of Beaulieu in 1203 – 1204, a delightful 2¼ miles forest walk from Bucklers Hard. Its Latin name was Bellus Locus Regis, meaning 'The beautiful place of the king'. Over time, the monks contracted the monastery's name to Beau, French for beauty, and lieu from Latin meaning locus, place meaning 'beautiful place'.




The original name referred to King John, who endowed it with land and resources. King John's relationship with the Cistercian Order was complex, and he quarrelled with various ecclesiastical bodies throughout his reign (1199-1216). But in his latter days, he was inspired by a terrifying dream of damnation to establish Beaulieu Abbey as a significant act of atonement. The founding of Beaulieu Abbey in 1203 was intended to secure the monks' prayers for his soul and benefit from the spiritual intercession of the Cistercian Order. From its inception, Beaulieu was envisioned as a prominent royal foundation. John populated it with thirty monks specially dispatched from the mother abbey of Cîteaux in France.




Beaulieu Abbey flourished significantly from this royal beginning. By 1270, it had become England's largest Cistercian abbey, supporting approximately 200 monks. Its economic reach was extensive; the 'Great Close of Beaulieu' managed no fewer than five granges (outlying agricultural estates) spread across the country, a remarkable number compared to the typical one possessed by most abbeys. Beaulieu continued to prosper until its eventual dissolution under Henry VIII's Suppression of the Monasteries in 1538.




After this, the Beaulieu Estate's river, fertile lands, woods and monastic rights passed into the hands of a secular owner, Thomas Wriothesley, 1st Earl of Southampton. Wriothesley was 'Clerk to the Signet', a leading royal servant, and 'right-hand-man' to Thomas Cromwell, the chief architect of the 'Dissolution of the Monasteries'. He is a direct ancestor of the present owners, the Montagu of Beaulieu. His house alongside the Beaulieu River, called Palace House, has remained the home of the Montagu family ever since.




The river is quite unusual, with complete ownership of Beaulieu Abbey vested entirely in the Montagu family. It is one of the very few private rivers in the world. The Montagu family and their stewardship of the 9,000 acres (36 km²) Beaulieu Estate have ensured that the river's development has been largely controlled. As a result, it is both a National Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSI). Likewise, the village of Beaulieu, like Buckler's Hard, has retained its old-world charm as the quintessential English village.




Today, Buckler's Hard has become a destination for tourism, supported by its small maritime museum, hotel, marina, and adjacent boating facilities. The harbour office, situated in Buckler's Hard, serves as the hub of all boating activities along the river. From this point, the harbour master's team manages the river's 300 moorings, 110 marina berths, and the approximately 7,500 yachts that visit each year. However, aside from these numerous moorings and the marina, little has changed since the days when wooden warships were constructed here. The 18th-century village remains untouched by the passage of time, and at low tide, the old launch way timbers from bygone eras are still visible. The excellent small museum offers a wonderful insight into the history of this 18th-century shipbuilding village, focusing not only on its vessels but also on the lives of those who built them. The superbly located 'Master Builder's Hotel', overlooking the Beaulieu River, is a delightful spot to enjoy a drink or partake in their waterfront BBQ on a summer's day.




Beaulieu is now world-famous for being the home of the National Motor Museum. It contains one of the finest collections of vintage and classic vehicles worldwide. The Montagu family's Palace House is kept in the Victorian era style, with household staff in period costume. Visitors can enjoy music in the Lower Drawing Room and play traditional games outside on the lawns. Just beyond the formal gardens are the remains of the Cistercian Abbey, which houses an exhibition of monastic life.




From a boating perspective, it should not be overlooked that Buckler's Hard was where Sir Francis Chichester began and finished his single-handed voyage around the world in Gipsy Moth IV. The keen eye of the master sailor, to pick the peaceful haven of Buckler's Hard for this purpose, only illustrates that this is one of the perfect sailing havens in England.

What facilities are available?

All pontoons, including the mid-river pontoon, provide water and power. Diesel fuel, petrol and water are available from the fuel pontoon. Ashore the marina has lavatories, showers and a very good coin-operated launderette. The Harbour Master's Office stocks a small selection of necessities such as milk, eggs bread etc. Skips and recycling bins are located within the main refuse compound in the boatyard. There is a slipway that dries out at low water and should not be used 2 hours either side of low water, as it drops off steeply. The harbour office also has a scrubbing grid that may be made use of.

In the yard, there is a chandlery who could not be more helpful, and a boatyard with comprehensive capabilities, sail making & repair, marine engineering, riggers etc. There is also a specialist facility for outboard engines, spares, repairs, accessories, servicing, winterising, are all taken care of here. The yard also has a Renner mobile boat hoist and offers lift out and lay-up and storage facilities.

Eating out in The Master Builder's House hotel’s BBQ overlooking the river is a prerequisite, which serves hot and cold foods and a bar. The museum also has a tea shop.

Marginally better provisioning may found by taking the dinghy, at high water, to the small village Beaulieu. This may be reached via a walk along a 2¼ miles gravelled forest footpath that passes through the heart of the Beaulieu Estate. Beaulieu also has a post office and further dining out opportunities.

The only public transport available is the very useful hourly summer Beach Bus. It runs from the Saltwater Baths in Lymington, stopping at popular attractions such as Lepe Country Park, Exbury Gardens, the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, to terminate at the Hythe Ferry.

Any security concerns?

Never an issue known to have occurred to a vessel in the Beaulieu River.

With thanks to:

Mike Nicholls, Retired Beaulieu River Harbour Master and Adam Lewis, Deputy Harbour Master.