BEAULIEU & THE NATIONAL MOTOR MUSEUM

Set in the heart of the New Forest, the Beaulieu Estate, home of the Montagu family, comprises Palace House, which began as the 14th-century Great Gatehouse of Beaulieu Abbey, the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey, Bucklers Hard, and the renowned National Motor Museum

In 1204, King John gave permission to 30 Cistercian monks from France to build an abbey here - which is why it has a French name (Beaulieu being French for 'beautiful place')
The Abbey complex was used during World War II, as a secure place to train 'agents' to be dropped into occupied territory
Bucklers Hard was once the shipyard attached to the Beaulieu Estate, and now comprises a 'street' of cottages, where you can enter and see how the workers lived

The village of Beaulieu lays across the pond, which was formed by damming the River Beaulieu to feed the mills, from Palace House. 

Come springtime, the lawns and woods surrounding Palace House, are full of daffodils. Palace House is the family home of Lord Montagu. It began as a 14th.century gatehouse to the abbey. It was modified in the 1730s, and further extended in the 1870s -  hence it is a bit of a mish-mash of architectural styles, although not displeasing to look at.

National Motor Museum

The National Motor Museum is full of interesting exhibits, from the earliest motor carriages to classic family saloons, and one of the finest collections of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia in the world. It was set up by Lord Montagu in the 1950s.