Lymington

Lymington sits on the western bank of the Lymington River where it opens into the Solent, a handsome Georgian market town that has made its living from salt, shipbuilding and sailing for the best part of a thousand years. The cobbled, gently sloping High Street climbs away from the quay past ironstone and brick townhouses, antique shops and bow-fronted shopfronts, a legacy of the wealth the town built as a Georgian resort and port. Look closely at the pavements and you can still spot old mooring rings and ship's ballast cobbles, reminders that this was once one of the busiest small harbours on the south coast.

Today Lymington is best known as a yachting town of genuine international standing, home to two large marinas, several sailing clubs and a resident Olympic sailing champion in Sir Ben Ainslie. It sits right on the southern fringe of the New Forest National Park, so ancient woodland, open heath and free-roaming ponies are only a few minutes' drive or cycle away, while the town's own edge dissolves into the wide, birdlife-rich salt marshes that stretch west towards Keyhaven and Hurst Spit. It is a town that rewards slow exploration on foot, whether that means browsing the quay, watching the ferries come and go, or following the sea wall out into the marshes with Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight on the horizon.

Top things to do in Lymington

Lymington rewards a slow wander more than a tick-list, but there is a genuinely good spread of things to see and do for a small town.

• Lymington Saturday Market — a street market has traded along the High Street since the 13th century, and every Saturday morning stalls selling food, flowers, antiques and local produce still stretch from the quay up to St Thomas's Church.
• The Georgian High Street — a cobbled, sloping street lined with independent shops, antique dealers, cafes and pubs, one of the best-preserved Georgian high streets on the Hampshire coast.
• Wightlink ferry to Yarmouth — passenger and car ferries cross the Solent to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight in around 25-40 minutes, making Lymington one of the easiest jumping-off points for a day on the island.
• Lymington and Keyhaven Nature Reserve — nearly 740 hectares of tidal mudflats, lagoons and salt marsh managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, with a coastal path out towards Hurst Castle that is one of the best birdwatching walks on the south coast.
• Lymington Town and Royal Lymington Yacht Club marinas — two large marinas and a strong sailing club scene make this one of the most active small-boat harbours in the country; watching the water on a summer evening is entertainment in itself.
• St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery — a small museum on New Street telling the story of Lymington and the New Forest coast, from its salt-making and shipbuilding past to its yachting present, alongside a changing programme of art exhibitions.
• The New Forest — Lymington sits right on the southern edge of the national park, so ancient woodland, open heath and free-roaming New Forest ponies are within easy reach for walking, cycling or riding.
• Hurst Castle — a Tudor artillery fort at the end of a long shingle spit, reachable by a coastal walk from Keyhaven or a short ferry crossing, with views across to the Isle of Wight's Needles.

Getting to Lymington

Lymington has two railway stations, Lymington Town and Lymington Pier, both on a branch line connecting to Brockenhurst on the main London Waterloo to Bournemouth and Weymouth line, so it is straightforward to reach by train from London in around two hours with a change. By road, the town sits just off the A337 between Brockenhurst and New Milton, with the M27 and Southampton around 20 miles to the north-east. Wightlink runs a regular car and passenger ferry service from Lymington Pier to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight, and Bournemouth Airport is roughly 30 minutes' drive away for those flying in.

Best time to visit Lymington

Lymington is at its liveliest in the summer months, when the marinas fill with visiting yachts, the Saturday market is at its busiest and the town's cafes and pubs spill out onto the pavements. Late spring and early autumn are quieter but still mild, good times for walking the marshes and the New Forest without peak-season crowds. Winter brings its own rewards for birdwatchers, when wading birds and wildfowl gather on the mudflats of the nature reserve in large numbers, and the town takes on a calmer, more local character.

Where to stay in Lymington

Accommodation in and around Lymington ranges from traditional coaching inns on the High Street to boutique hotels overlooking the marina and quiet guesthouses on the edges of the New Forest. Families and walkers often base themselves slightly out of town in the surrounding villages such as Pennington or Milford on Sea, within easy reach of both the coast path and the forest, while sailors tend to gravitate towards accommodation close to the two marinas so they can keep an eye on their boats.

Food and drink in Lymington

The quay and High Street are well stocked with places to eat, from casual harbourside cafes to more formal dining. The Kings Head Inn on Quay Hill is a long-standing fixture down by the water, while the High Street has a good run of independent cafes, bakeries and restaurants that make the most of local Solent seafood and New Forest produce. The Saturday market is also a good place to pick up local cheeses, cured meats and baked goods to take away, and several of the town's pubs make a point of stocking ales from Hampshire breweries.