Discover Lymington

Lymington brings together nature, historic places and a regular market. Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Local Nature Reserve, the Sea Water Baths and the St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery each offer a different focus. Routes with different courses add to these themes. When planning, you can consider whether the landscape, a market day, local history or a combination of these interests will shape your stay.

Nature and landscapes between Lymington and Keyhaven

Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Local Nature Reserve lies between the town of Lymington and the coastal village of Keyhaven. Its habitats include mudflats, salt marshes, shingle shores, coastal grazing marshes and saline lagoons. This variety makes the area a distinctive nature destination alongside Lymington’s historic places. The reserve is home to significant bird populations, as well as rare and specialised plant and invertebrate species. The different habitats and species give the landscape its distinctive natural history focus.

Cycling route and the Solent Way

The Lymington Station cycling route is 14 miles long and leads from central Lymington onto roads in the New Forest. The section of the Solent Way from Lymington to Beaulieu takes a different course: it crosses the Lymington River and then heads inland. The Solent Way is marked with a tern on a green arrow. The 14 miles provide a measure for planning the cycling route; on the Solent Way section, the river crossing and subsequent inland route are the main points of reference.

Charter Market: weekly market and history

Lymington’s Charter Market takes place every Saturday on the High Street, weather permitting. The stalls offer local food and handmade goods. If the market is a key reason for your trip, it is worth checking current market information before planning, as it is weather-dependent.

The market’s history also goes back a long way: it was granted a charter in the 13th century. Today’s food and crafts and the medieval history of its market charter represent two different aspects of the same place. The Saturday market can be factored into your travel plans, while the charter provides a historical connection to Lymington.

Baths, hillfort and museum

Lymington Sea Water Baths opened in 1833 and are a Grade II listed structure. They are believed to be the oldest surviving swimming pool in the United Kingdom still in operation. This makes them a point of interest for travellers interested in historic baths and architecture.

Buckland Rings takes the historical story back to the Iron Age: the site is an Iron Age hillfort in Lymington. The St Barbe Museum and Art Gallery is housed in a former Victorian school building. It covers Lymington’s history from the time of William the Conqueror to the Second World War, providing a broad overview across the centuries. Its programme also includes temporary exhibitions; the topics on display may change.

Discover more destinations: Southampton, Wadhurst, Margate, Canterbury, Herons Ghyll, Hailsham, Hastingleigh

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