The New Forest's Best Towns and Villages

17-minute drive

Considered by many, the “capital of the New Forest,” the village of Lyndhurst offers a wonderful balance of history, facilities, and New Forest access.

Visit the New Forest Heritage Centre to delve into the history of the forest or wander along Lyndhurst’s quaint high street, where you’ll find independent shops, galleries, pubs and cafes – the perfect place to stroll and peruse on your relaxing midweek break.

Story-lovers and fans of Alice in Wonderland love to discover that Lyndhurst was the home of Alice Liddell (the real girl who inspired Lewis Carroll’s original Alice). Today, you can visit St. Michael and All Angels church, where Alice was laid to rest.

There’s plenty of parking in the centre of the town at Lyndhurst Car Park, as well as electric vehicle charging points, disabled parking bays and toilets.

28-minute drive

For something a little different, visit the quaint and mysterious village of Burley…

Closely associated with folktales and witchcraft; it was the modern “white witch”, Sybil Leek, who in the 1950s, lived in Burley and owned two antique shops. When witchcraft was decriminalised, Sybil put Burley on the map as the ‘witch village’, often seen walking around wearing a long black cloak with a pet jackdaw named Mr Hotfoot Jackson; she gave several press interviews which drew visitors in from far and wide, inspired many tales and the shop A Coven of Witches is frequented by many who visit today.

If it’s walking and roaming off the beaten track you’re keen to do, Burley is a perfect starting point. From the village car park, which has disabled bays and toilets, you can set out on numerous walking routes, including the Castleman's Corkscrew walk, approximately 5km, it offers relatively flat walking with some undulation, starting from Burley car park, it’s mostly over heathland with fantastic opportunities to spot our New Forest ponies.

14-minute drive

One of the best kept secrets is the New Forest National Park’s proximity to the coast. During your couples break away, move from country to coast, swap the ancient trees for far-reaching views of the Solent and the Isle of Wight, then return to our beautiful woodland in no time.

Lepe Country Park invites visitors to explore the wildflower meadows, historic sites and picnic spots, and with three car parks there’s plenty of space and options depending on whether you wish to visit their café or go for a peaceful walk.

Did you know, The Famous Five TV Series in the late 1970s, adapting Enid Blyton’s beloved novels, featured Lepe, among several other much-loved New Forest towns and villages.

15-minute drive

Just minutes from our Beaulieu hotel, discover the vibrant coastal market town of Lymington; unassumingly pretty; it’s quintessential cobbled streets, historic quay and bustling Saturday market has enticed many over the years, from Johnny Depp, who’s been spotted in pubs in the area since the late 2000s, to Sir Ben Ainslie, Olympic sailing champion, who is a well-known resident. You can still find his gold post box on the high street.

In fact, in 2022 Which? chose Lymington as ‘one of the UK's top seaside towns in 2022 and Time Out named it as one of its ‘21 prettiest seaside towns in the UK for beautiful coastal getaways.’

Though it’s not a traditional seaside town, it’s salty-seadog sailing heritage balanced with its refined atmosphere, easy access to the Isle of Wight, independent shops and boutiques and picturesque Georgian architecture, makes it a rather special place to visit.

14-minute drive

A hidden gem if there ever was one, Brockenhurst is a small but bustling village, boasting a quaint high street with tearooms, shops and restaurants, but it’s connection to the outside is huge. An epicentre for linking visitors and city-dwellers with miles of woodland, forest trails, cycle hire and scenic New Forest getaways - Brockenhurst is a fantastic starting place for many New Forest adventures. And it’s a great place to spot New Forest ponies, donkeys and cattle.

A train from London to Brockenhurst usually takes less than 2 hours, making it the ideal stop to aim for, then it’s just a short taxi ride to our Beaulieu hotel.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to recommending the wonderful towns and villages of our National Park; each one has something magical or special to share. During your stay at our New Forest hotel, set out for a drive, stop in beautiful places, take in the history, the colours and the sounds of the forest and decide for yourself, which is your best town in the New Forest.