Historic Town Trail (Opens in a new window)

Historic Lymington
Salt, Smuggling, Shipbuilding, Sailing
Town trails
Three walks around Lymington:
The Angel Inn
Town Quay - around town and the Town quay.
St. Barbe Museum
(Red route – about 1 hour)
Marinas - riverside and sea water baths.
Quay Hill
(Blue route – about 1½ hours)
Salterns and Solent views - old salt workings and
nature reserve
(Green route – about 2 hours).
St. Thomas Church
WALK 1 – Red route (approx. 1 hour)
The St. Barbe Museum and Art Gallery is situated within
a former Victorian schoolhouse. The museum explores the
unique history of Lymington and the New Forest Coast. The
art galleries host regularly changing exhibitions and often
include works on loan from national and regional collections.
Walk towards the High Street. The Literary Institute on your
left ( dated 1846) was formed to promote the cultural and
educational improvement of the townspeople.
Turn left into the High Street. From the Angel Inn , a 18th
century coaching inn and one of the oldest in Lymington,
and the Nags’s Head opposite (now Fat Face and Boots
Opticians), coaches left for Southampton and London almost
daily. Many of the town’s proclamations were announced
from the first floor balcony of the Angel Inn. The adjacent
Assembly Rooms formed the centre of much of the social life
of Lymington.
Numerous ‘ courts’ running off the street can be seen,
which once formed additional space for traders behind
or between the street’s ‘burgage plots’. The plots can be
identified because they are in multiples of perches – the
basic medieval unit of measurement of 5 ½ yards (5.03 m)
wide. Until it was demolished in 1858, there was a Town Hall
standing in the middle of the High Street, near the Angel Inn.
Gold Postbox
Descending the High Street , notice the views of the
Monument in the distance over the river in Walhampton .
This granite obelisk commemorates the life of Sir Harry
Burrard Neale, MP for Lymington between 1790 and 1835.
The Catholic church, through an entrance on the left, was
designed in the late 1850’s by Joseph Hansom (architect
and designer of the ‘Hansom cab’). The gold painted post
box on the right is in recognition of sailor Sir Ben Ainsley –
Lymington resident and the first person to win medals in five
different Olympic Games in sailing.
These walks give an introduction to
Gas Light
historic Lymington so that both tourists
and residents can appreciate the history
and development of the town.
Often described as ‘Georgian Lymington’, the High Street
of the town actually demonstrates a variety of architecture:
Georgian, Victorian, Art Deco together with evidence of
medieval origins and some modern 20th century infill.
Bandstand
Lymington was granted its first Charter between 1193
and 1217 by William de Redvers giving it Borough status.
Various rights were granted including the right to hold a
market (which still runs weekly on Saturdays).
Wavy walls
Marinas and the Sea Water Baths
Salterns and Normandy Marsh nature reserve
along Bath Road.
On the left is the Berthon Lymington Marina and boatyard
. There was a boatyard at Berthon in the 16th century.
Thomas Inman took over the boatyard in 1819 and built the
trophy-winning Alarm in 1830 for the Weld family. In August
1851, the Alarm raced against the schooner America in the
forerunner of the America’s Cup.
There has been a car ferry crossing to Yarmouth IOW since
the early days of motoring in the 1900’s . Replacing
specially constructed rowboats in the 1830’s, steamboats
and barges ferried passengers and animals until double
ended car ferries were introduced in 1936.
The Bath Road riverfront
was once a place to listen to
band concerts on the Victorian bandstand. The structure
mysteriously disappeared during World War II to be replaced
in 2000 by a new bandstand for the Millennium celebrations.
Continue at
beyond the Yacht Haven building some 30
yards taking the signposted roped path left (marked ‘Public
Footpath Solent Way’) passing through the boats and out of
the marina to the narrow footpath (‘Solent Way’) and shortly
taking either of two paths to the sea wall.
The Isle of Wight and the western Solent form an impressive
backdrop ahead whilst inland, inside the seawall to the right,
are the mudflats, ponds and ditches of Normandy Lagoon
forming part of the Lymington–Keyhaven Nature Reserve.
There are good views of the marshes and birdlife from the
coastal path that follows the seawall. The area forming the
lagoons was old salt workings . This is now the Normandy
Marsh nature reserve.
Until the end of 18th century, there was a continuous line of
salt works along the coastline from Lymington to Hurst Spit
- the biggest area of sea salt production in the country. The
salt workings (variously called salt pans or salterns) included
evaporating ponds, boiling houses, wind pumps and docks
for transporting coal and salt. The salt trade died in the early
1800s.
Next to the Royal Lymington Yacht Club
is a large ornate
cast-iron gas standard. Gas lighting came to Lymington in
1832. This commemorative column stood outside the Town
Hall in the High Street from 1832 to 1858.
Dan Bran’s shed
The wavy (or ‘crinkle-crankle’) walls
are built with only a
single brick width - extra strength being given by the wavy
shape.
The first wavy wall on the right was built by the author Dennis
Wheatley (1897-1977) who lived at adjacent Grove Place. The
wall survived after the house was demolished in 1969.
The wavy wall at Elm Grove House is thought to have been
constructed in the early 19th century, possibly by Hanoverian
soldiers when they were in exile in Lymington from the
Napoleonic Wars.
On the right, the foundations of the walls clearly reveal a variety
of materials. They are of considerable antiquity and marked the
western boundary of the ancient 13th century Borough at the
granting of the town’s charter about 1200.
At the end of Church Lane is Monmouth House , probably
the oldest complete domestic house in the town, dating from
the late 1600’s.
The parish church of St Thomas
has a commanding position
at the top of the High Street. Parts of the building date back to
1250.
Returning along the High Street, behind the railing at number
48, we come to Bellevue House , built in 1765 and for many
years the home of Charles St Barbe - banker, saltern owner
and five times mayor of the Borough.
Ashley Lane , a passageway off the High Street has
medieval origins dating at least to 1335 since when it has been
called ‘Alremanne Lane’ or ‘Aishleys Lane’. Admiral Arthur
Phillip RN lived in Ashley Lane 1798 – 1803. Philip, the first
Governor of New South Wales, had sailed with the First Fleet to
the proposed British penal colony that became Sydney.
Back in New Street (past the St. Barbe Museum), on the corner
with Cannon Street, is the Malt House . Having once housed
French military emigrants in the 1790’s, the Malt House now
forms part of the thriving Lymington Community Centre - since
1946, the home of many cultural and educational clubs and
associations as well as the area’s only cinema.
Historic Lymington: Salt Smuggling Shipbuilding Sailing
The wealth of Lymington was based on salt and smuggling,
which were at their height in the 18th century. Much of the
town’s architecture today reflects this period.
Salt. The production of sea salt was important from the
Middle Ages. Until the end of 18th century, the area from
Lymington to Hurst Spit was the site of the biggest sea salt
industry in the country. The Lymington-Keyhaven Nature
Reserve now contains examples of medieval and later salt
workings. By 1865 cheaper mined salt from Cheshire finally
forced the closure of the last saltern.
Smuggling. Smuggling became an important part of
economic life in Lymington towards the end of the 17th
century and it received widespread support from the local
community. Items smuggled included wine,brandy, silks,
coffee, tea and other dutiable items. Stories abound of
cellars and tunnels in the High Street. Goods were landed in
creeks around Lymington and then taken inland as far and
fast as possible by teams of packhorses and cart. Some
smuggled goods reached Lymington residents and were
concealed within their houses.
Shipbuilding. Lymington has been building boats since
medieval times. During the reign of Edward I (1272-1307),
the Lymington shipyard supplied nine ships for the defence
of the realm - more than Portsmouth. The Berthon Boat
Company has been trading continuously since 1877 and
occupies a riverside site.
Ignore the first gate on the right but continue to the sailing
lake at Eight Acre Pond . Turn right to walk either side of
the small inlet. Join the road, bear right and then turn left into
Maiden Lane.
The town has three marinas - Lymington Yacht Haven and
Lymington Berthon Marina together with the Town Quay and
Lymington River, all of which are popular destinations for
yachtsmen on the South Coast.
These Lymington Town Trails have been produced for
Bearing right beyond the main Yacht Haven building, turn out
of the marina entrance and take Kings Saltern Road (to the
left) then straight ahead to Waterford Lane. Waterford Lane
comprises a wide range of residential property.
Woodside Lane has some pleasant properties, including the
Manor House dating from the early 17th century. Turn left at
the junction with All Saints Road, noticing The Old Sunday
School - a charming detached cottage built in 1877 by
Francis Crozier for the children of Woodside. The Millennium
Gardens and the Woodside Gardens
are on the left
before walking along Belmore Lane.
When Waterford Lane becomes Church Lane
re-join the
original Walk 1 (Red route) to get back to the High Street.
Turn right into St Thomas Street to re-join Walk 1 at
Monmouth House .
Walk along the graveled path beside the marina berths to
Lymington Yacht Haven .
Sea Water Baths
Lymington’s wavy walls
Church Lane’s walls are both historic and of interesting
construction.
Walk along the sea wall path. From here you can see views
of the Isle of Wight, Hurst Castle, the Needles and (looking
inland) the cupola of St. Thomas Church.
Facing the slipway is the RNLI Lifeboat station, home of
the inshore Lymington lifeboat. The Lymington Town Sailing
Club occupies the former 1833 Bath House.
Press Gang Cottage
Walk past the car park and toilets, turn right into Nelson Place
and walk up into Grove Road. The large open public space on
the right is Grove Gardens . Follow Grove Road round to turn
right into Church Lane.
Sailing. Since the 19th century, Lymington has become a
major sailing centre - convenient for leisure cruising in the
Solent and to the Isle of Wight, as well as a departure point
for the English Channel and beyond. Visiting yachtsmen and
locals alike benefit from Lymington’s two yacht clubs: the
Royal Lymington Yacht Club and the Lymington Town Sailing
Club.
Further along the sea wall are the Lymington Sea Water
Baths . The Open Air Baths are now open daily in
summer. At the corner was once the boat shed of the
legendary Lymington character Dan Bran (1869-1950) .
Dan was a boat builder and designer of the ‘Lymington
Pram’. Unable to read or write, he worked ‘by eye’.
Lymington Community Centre
The Quay used to be a bustling area, with sailing ships
importing coal and timber and carrying away the salt
produced locally. This would once have been a rough and
disreputable area.
Present buildings on the quay include The Ship Inn (dating
from 1850) and The House on the Quay (once a bakery and
shipping suppliers) built in 1675.
In 1900, a rowing boat (the ‘penny ferry’) would cross from the
Quay to the old ferry house on the Walhampton side opposite.
WALK 3 – Green route (approx. 2 hours)
Press Gang Cottage at number 10
was once The
Harlequin Inn reputed as being the headquarters of the
Press Gang in the early 1800’s.
Bellevue House
As Quay Hill turns into Quay Street, the former pub The Old
Alarm was named after the yacht built for Joseph Weld in
1821, at a time when yacht building was taking over from
salt as a major industry in Lymington.
WALK 2 – Blue route (approx. 1 hour 30 mins)
Continue from the Quay
Monmouth House
Quay Hill and the old Town Quay
Cross the road at the bottom of the hill into Quay Hill
Most clients however paid ½ d, which only took them to the
jetty behind the railway bridge. A longer journey from town to
Walhampton and the Isle of Wight Ferry would be across the
river along Bridge Road (or toll house causeway)
and the
Undershore to the Wightlink Ferry terminal .
Salt Works
Lymington & Pennington Town Council
Avenue Road Lymington SO41 9ZG
02380 285894
by Ray Mayes with mapping, artwork and design
by Alan Rowe (Potting Shed Cartoons) - with the support of
St. Barbe Museum and Art Gallery
New Street Lymington SO419BH
01590 676969