Beaulieu Palace & Motor Museum
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Port
Southampton (London), England
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Activity Level
Moderate
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Excursion Type
All,61,80
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Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
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Starting At
$139.95
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4½ hours
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Meals Included
Meals included
Today's journey from Southampton takes you across heathland and through parts of the beautifully wooded New Forest. Small herds of free-roaming ponies and donkeys are a feature of the open heath, while picturesque villages offer excellent photo opportunities with thatched cottages and tranquil river scenes.
The picturesque and idyllic village of Beaulieu, nestled on the bank of the Beaulieu River, has delighted visitors for centuries. It was here, in 1202, that King John gave the area to the Cistercians, who then built an abbey, now in ruins. At the time, it was the largest in the country.
Follow your guide to Beaulieu Palace House -- a stately home built in the 16th century. It has been the family home of the Montagus since 1538. Palace House, with its warm and friendly atmosphere, offers an insight into the past with many fascinating family treasures, portraits and photographs. Although much of the lovely 13th-century abbey was destroyed during the reign of Henry VIII, you can still enjoy its timeless beauty and tranquil atmosphere, with the arches of the cloisters evoking its heyday.
One of the remaining abbey buildings now houses a monastic exhibit, which illustrates the daily life of the Cistercian Monks. The cloisters have been planted with aromatic herbs to recreate the herb garden of the monastery.
Within the grounds at Beaulieu is the National Motor Museum. From small beginnings in 1952, when Lord Montagu first displayed a handful of veteran cars as a memorial to his father, the collection has grown to more than 250 vehicles and displays that vividly illustrate the story of motoring. See some of the earliest examples of motoring from the 1890s through to legendary world record breakers. Walk through the 1930s street scene or wander at leisure through the extensive palace grounds and across a broad sweep of lawn down to the riverbank. Fine views look back to the abbey and out across to the photogenic surroundings.
Travel the short distance to Beaulieu village and across more heathland to Lyndhurst -- a much admired and photographed village -- and through parts of the New Forest as you return to Southampton.