Hythe Marina Village is located on the south coast of England, on the western shore near the head of Southampton Water. It is a contemporary marina village development built into the waterfront next to the small town of Hythe.

Located near the head of Southampton Water and behind a lock, the marina offers complete protection. It can be safely accessed night or day, at any state of the tide and in all reasonable conditions.

As the marina accommodates visitors in slots freed up by absent resident berth-holders it is advisable to make contact in advance of any intended stay.

Keyfacts for Hythe Marina Village

Position and approaches

Haven position

50° 52.538' N, 001° 23.973' W

This is situated at the entrance to Hythe Marina's lock.

What are the initial fixes?

The following waypoints will set up a final approach:

(i) Hythe Marina Initial Fix

50° 52.685' N, 001° 23.790' W

This is located on Southampton Water's 2 metre contour, 200 metres northeast of the entrance to the dredged channel that leads to Hythe Marina's lock basin.

(ii) Hythe Marina Initial Fix

50° 52.685' N, 001° 23.790' W

This is located on Southampton Water's 2 metre contour, 200 metres northeast of the entrance to the dredged channel that leads to Hythe Marina's lock basin.

What are the key points of the approach?

Not what you need?

To find locations with the specific attributes you need try:

What's the story here?

Hythe Marina Village is located on the western shores near the head of Southampton Water and is operated by MDL Marinas. It was the first marina village to be established in the UK, featuring 225 luxury residences, each with a dedicated berth. Situated just north of the pier that fronts the small town of Hythe and close to the main Southampton docks, it is one of the first marinas encountered when entering Southampton Water from the Solent. A regular ferry service runs from Hythe Pier to Southampton, with the pier situated just south of the marina.




Hythe Marina Village is accessed via a lock measuring 21 metres in length and 9 metres in width, which operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. During high tide (between 3.8m and 4.4m), the lock gates often remain open for several hours, facilitating easier entry and exit. Although the marina can technically accommodate yachts up to 16 metres LOA, and larger vessels can sometimes be accommodated with prior arrangement, its optimal size is that of an average boat.




Southampton Water offers a maintained depth of no less than 12.6 metres chart datum up to the marina's entrance channel. The lock is then approached via a well-marked short channel with a maintained depth of 1.5 metres LAT, or 2.5m at MLWS. The 206-berth basin inside has a control depth of 2.5 metres.

Daily Visitor Berthing [2025] (Excluding electricity):

• • Up to 12.5m: £5.35 per metre


• • 12.6m – 18m: £6.75 per metre


• • 18.1m – 24m: £7.50 per metre

Short Stay Berthing (Up to 4 hours):

• • Up to 15m: £12.60


• • 15.1m + £18.55

Electricity is typically excluded from these rates.




Hythe Marina Village does not have designated visitor berths and accommodates visiting yachts in the vacant berths of resident holders who are away. It is therefore advisable to make berthing arrangements in advance by contacting the reception on Ch. 80 [Hythe Marina] or +44 (0)23 8020 7073, hythe@mdlmarinas.co.uk or MDL web form . Berths may be reserved up to two days in advance.

How to get in?

Coastal guidance waypoints and pilotage for the run-up to the River Itchen, along with river guidance, are available in the Western Approaches or the Eastern Approaches to the Solent and Southampton. Vessels approaching Dock Head should encounter no local hazards if they follow the clear marks of the Solent and Southampton Water, ideally staying close to the inner navigable waters within them and maintaining reasonable soundings to avoid commercial shipping.




Yachts navigating the six-mile stretch of Southampton Water should keep a listening watch for Southampton Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), available via Ch. 12/16 [Southampton VTS], +44 (0)23 8060 8208 (24/7/365). Yield priority to commercial vessels, particularly near the docks. A speed limit of 6 knots is enforced north of a line connecting Hythe Pier and Weston Shelf.

At night, the helmsman should watch for several large, unlit mooring buoys off Hythe and on the opposite side of the fairway. There is a speed limit of 6 knots in the area north of a line connecting Hythe Pier and Weston Shelf. High-speed, Ro-Ro ferries and large ships operate in this part of Southampton Waters.




The marina is situated on the western shoreline, approximately a ¼ of a mile above Hythe Pier and about a ⅓ of a mile south of Dock Head at the junction of the Rivers Itchen and Test. It is the first marina encountered upon entering Southampton Water and is distinguished by a cluster of buildings, many of which have terracotta roofs, known as Hythe Marina Village.




Hythe Pier, stretching out from the town, will serve as a prominent landmark. However, do not be tempted to pass directly off Hythe's pierhead and then straight towards the marina's entrance channels beacons.




It dries out to nearly a line between the outer end of Hythe Pier and the outer end of the entrance channel of Hythe Marina. Additionally, a shallow patch extends further from that line and approximately northwest from the head of Hythe Pier. Therefore, it is advisable to steer towards the initial fix on the 2-metre contour and then turn in.




Before proceeding from the initial fix, it is essential to call on Ch. 80 [Hythe Marina] for clearance to lock in and to confirm a vacant berth - ideally 15-30 mins out.




The marina's lock is accessed via a straight 200-metre-long channel with a maintained depth of 1.5 metres LAT or 2.5 metres at MLWS. The entrance to the channel is marked by an East Cardinal Beacon, exhibiting a light Q(3) 10s, which should be passed to starboard, with a corresponding port beacon, FI(2)R.5s.




The short channel continues on a bearing of 220°T, marked by lit red and green piles, leading to the lock. Strong cross-currents can run across the entrance, particularly on a big ebb tide (outgoing). Be prepared to apply significant helm to maintain your line into the entrance. On final approaches, a convenient outer waiting pontoon stepped back from the fairway on the south side of the lock entrance.



Traffic lights on the signal poles above the lock control access.

• • 3 [Fixed Red] 'Wait'


• • 3 [Flashing Red] 'All traffic must stop!'


• • 3 [Fixed Green] 'Go ahead'


• • 2 [Fixed Green over one White] 'Free flow in the lock'

Berthing on the waiting pontoon is intended for brief waits while awaiting the next available lock cycle, not for overnight stays, and it has a maintained depth of 1.5 meters chart datum.




The basin within the lock has a control depth of 2.5 metres. The lock has some free flow around high tides that range from 3.8 to 4.4 m, except during peak neaps. Be mindful of tidal flows when passing through the lock at free flow.




Turn off the radar to avoid irradiating the lock-keepers and the engine once you have secured the vessel in the lock, so as not to fill the chamber with exhaust fumes. The lock chamber is well appointed with rows of covered chains so you can wrap your lines around them to hold the vessel in place. These allow you to maintain constant tension as you slide up or down in the chamber.




Berth as directed by the lock master. A dead slow speed is essential inside the marina. The entrance channel bends sharply to port immediately inside. Excessive speed causes major wash issues and is frowned upon (enforced).




Expect relatively tight finger berths. Fenders and lines must be ready before entering the marina. The prevailing SW wind can push you off the pontoons.




Bow-in or stern-in is common; the Harbour Office will specify your approach. The marina staff are very helpful and often come out to assist with lines, especially for visitors.

Why visit here?

Hythe, also known through time as Heda, Heya, Hethe, Hithe with the word Hyth in Old English, means 'hard permanent landing-place' or 'haven'. The earliest recorded use of the name dates to a 1293 Parliamentary roll, highlighting its significance as a key riverside landing site. The "Hythe Hard," a gravel bank extending into Southampton Water and exposed at low tide, provided a permanent landing spot that perfectly aligns with the meaning of its name.




Southampton Water has always been a crucial waterway, being deep and well sheltered. It provides access to the heart of Hampshire, with the important Rivers Test, Itchen, and Hamble all flowing into it. A good landing place on its shore has always been significant, which is why Hythe has been a port since Saxon times. It was granted by Halfden, a Saxon thegn (nobleman), to Christ Church, Canterbury. In the Domesday Survey, the borough is listed among the archbishop's lands as part of his manor of Saltwood, and the archbishop appointed the bailiff of the town. The settlement prospered over the centuries, with its villagers benefiting from fishing, ferrying, and agriculture.




Its passenger ferry to Town Quay has operated since the Middle Ages and was first marked on the Christopher Saxton map of 1575 as 'Hitheferye' alongside the later John Harrison map of 1788. Several boat-building yards sprang up along its shore, and when cargo vessels became too large to come alongside, the villagers acted as 'lightermen' for Hythe and Southampton. But the sea gradually retreated from Hythe, and the harbour became choked up with sand. The village then suffered the same fate as other nearby places and lost its old significance.




A prosperous shipyard remained on the south side of the village. It built small craft for the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic period and continued under various ownerships and levels of activity until the Second World War. During the war, the yard became home to the Royal Navy's 'little ships', the Motor Torpedo Boats and the RAF Air/Sea Rescue Boats. The yard finally closed when the war ended, bringing an end to over two hundred years of shipbuilding on the site. But the village had one final maritime moment when Sir Christopher Cockerell moved to 'Grove' in St. John's Street, adjacent to where today's Hythe Marina Village is situated. Sir Christopher Cockerell was the founder of 'The Hovercraft Development Company', and although the original concept and prototype were designed and built in East Anglia, it was from here that the final designs were refined for the first cross-Channel hover-ferry, which launched in 1966. Hythe, however, continued to thrive after the war, and its prosperity was driven by the expansion of Fawley Refinery in the 1950s. The Fawley expansion led to a demand for more houses, allowing Hythe and Dibden Purlieu to grow, transforming Hythe from a village into a small town.




Hythe's most notable feature will always be the pier from which the ferry departs. Before its construction, ferry passengers had to walk across a gravelled area in front of what is now the Drummond Arms to board the ferry. This uneven footing often caused passengers to get wet feet. This issue, combined with a Victorian tendency to build piers, led to the construction of Hythe Pier between 1879 and 1881. The 640-metre (2,100-foot) iron pier was officially opened with a ceremony on 1st January 1881. In 1909, tracks were laid for hand-pulled trolley systems to help passengers carry goods and luggage along the long walkway. In 1922, a 2-foot (576mm) narrow-gauge electric railway was opened to transport passengers and their luggage the full length of the pier.




This railway, along with its original engine and rolling stock, is still operational today and remains an important part of the local transport network to Southampton. The nineteenth-century pier is still one of the ten longest piers in the British Isles, and its rail, which has been running continuously since 1922, is the oldest pier railway in the world. It was awarded Grade II listed status in 2021 for its architectural and historical significance. The pier continues to be in active use today and offers a highly convenient half-hourly service that takes just 15 minutes to cross to Southampton Town Quay.




Hythe Marina Village is also a UK first. Emerging from the mudflats of Hythe in 1985, it was the first marina village to be built in the UK. Inspired by the French Mediterranean marina of Port Grimaud, it comprises a collection of waterfront homes, each with its pontoon mooring. Currently managed by MDL, Hythe Marina Village is regarded by many as the finest marina village on the UK's south coast. With only 228 properties, it is relatively small compared to some of the later marina villages, and the purpose-built, secure marina gives the development a relaxed 'lifestyle' feel.




From a boating perspective, this fully protected marina on the Solent's doorstep is an ideal spot to refuel and provision a vessel. From a land-based exploration angle, it offers ferry access to the centre of Southampton and its onward links. Similarly, the New Forest, a recently designated National Trust area of outstanding natural beauty, lies three miles to the west. The small market town itself features all the necessary amenities that anyone might need along its charming cobbled high street.

What facilities are available?

The pontoons supply power and water. All domestic amenities such as showers, toilets, launderette facilities, and WiFi are available throughout the marina area. Diesel, unleaded petrol, and a toilet pump-out facility can be found at the fuel bay, located just within the lock on the port side. The marina also accommodates gas cylinders, general waste disposal, and comprehensive recycling facilities. Arrangements can be made for waste oil disposal.




The marina features a fully equipped boatyard with a 40-tonne travel hoist situated just north of the lock and hard-standing area. There is a small chandlery on-site and a wide range of specialist services, including rigging, marine electronics, GRP repairs, cosmetic work, and engineering. Within the village, there are two restaurants: La Vista Bar and Restaurant, and the Boathouse Hotel Bar and Restaurant overlooking the marina. A small Londis shop is located in the Marina Village Centre, along with other shops such as chemists. The town of Hythe is a five-minute walk from the marina. It offers excellent facilities, including a Waitrose supermarket, a post office, banks, and various restaurants and bars along the High Street.

A half-hourly ferry service runs between Hythe Pier and Southampton, providing further train and bus connections. P: +44 23 8084 0722. An hourly summer Beach Bus operates from the Saltwater Baths in Lymington, stopping at popular attractions such as Lepe Country Park, Exbury Gardens, and the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, before terminating at the Hythe Ferry. Regular bus services connect Hythe ferry pier with Southampton throughout the week, along with shuttle services to Portsmouth, Eastleigh, Winchester, Hedge End, and Hamble.

Any security concerns?

The marina is highly attentive to security. Gates are coded and a 24 hour security system is maintained with CCTV.

With thanks to:

Michael Harpur S/Y Whistler.