Home page > Hidden Pages > Education > Beaulieu & Buckler's Hard as Leisure

 

 

Beaulieu & Buckler's Hard as Leisure Destinations

A Historic Review
The development of tourism on the Beaulieu Estate began in a small way, almost a century ago, but major developments have taken place in the period since 1952. A brief calendar of key events follows:

1894

The beginning of tourist activity on the Estate.

The Gosport Steam Launch Company introduces day trips to Buckler's Hard.

Landing fees: Adults 2d., Children Id. Number of visitors in the first Year: 1,999.
1905 Visitors are admitted to Beaulieu Abbey ruins. (Admission 6d.)
1910 The first Beaulieu Abbey Museum is created following the restoration of the Abbey buildings.
1952

Two rooms of Palace House are opened to the public.

The Entrance Hall becomes a memorial to John, 2nd Baron Montagu of Beaulieu, a motoring pioneer, with three veteran cars on display.
1955 First Motorcycle Museum opens in the old kitchens of Palace House, spreading into the Courtyard.
1956
First Motor Museum opens in two wooden buildings in the Garden.
1959 A new, greatly enlarged, Montagu Motor Museum is opened by Lord Brabazon of Tara.
1960 Transport Library opens to respond to increasing number of enquiries. First wedding hire of Museum car. First Veteran & Vintage Car Auction at Beaulieu.
1963 Maritime Museum opens at Buckler's Hard.
1966

The Beaulieu Conservation Plan is commissioned.

The success of tourism at Beaulieu and Buckler's Hard is creating serious problems. Traffic jams are a common feature of high season. Access and circulation routes are inadequate. Many visitors using the sites are producing no income. The aim of the Conservation Plan is to ensure long-term conservation of the Beaulieu Estate, while providing enhanced visitor facilities.
1967 First Autojumble at Beaulieu.
1970 Beaulieu Conservation Plan approved by Local Authority. Foundation stone of National Motor Museum laid.
1971 First major proposals of the Conservation Plan are implemented. At Buckler's Hard, the 'Agamemnon' Boatyard and new Yacht Harbour are opened upstream of the Village. New car parks for visitors, hotel guests and residents are created outside the village area. The Village Street becomes a traffic free zone.
1972 The new National Motor Museum opens, together with many associated buildings and facilities. These include the Visitor Information Centre, the new Administrative Building, the Brabazon Restaurant & Cafeteria, extensive landscaped car parks with new road access. In the same year, the Beaulieu Village bypass is opened.
1974 The National Motor Museum wins the "Museum of the Year Award".
1977 Display of Monastic Life opens in the Domus Building of Beaulieu Abbey.
1982 Historic Cottage interiors are opened at Buckler's Hard.
1985 To celebrate the centenary of the motor car, the "Wheels" exhibition is opened in the National Motor Museum.
1989 The National Motor Museum Trust Centre is completed, providing improved housing for the curatorial offices, libraries, reserve collections of exhibits, restoration workshops and education facilities.


Footnotes

  1. The opening of Palace House to the public in 1952, marked the beginning of a period of rapid development.

    By the mid-1960s, half a million visitors were coming to Beaulieu. Palace House, & Beaulieu Abbey and the Montagu Motor Museum were separately charged facilities, and many of the visitors came only to walk in the Grounds, or take advantage of the Cafeteria.
  2. The second key date was 1972. The opening of the National Motor Museum marked the inauguration of the new tourist facilities to the north of Palace House. At the time of opening, one overall charge for the site was introduced. After an initial payment, visitors had free access to the Motor Museum, Palace House and Beaulieu Abbey, together with an increasing number of additional features.