Barton-on-Sea

History

Famous for the prehistoric fossils found in its crumbling cliffs, Barton-on-Sea’s first human inhabitants date back to Anglo-Saxon times; it’s listed not once but twice in the Domesday Book, with hunting, fishing and farming the occupations for its early residents.

The Barton Court Hotel was used in WWI to house convalescing Indian troops injured in battle – you’ll find an obelisk to commemorate the fact.

One of the town’s other famous landmarks is the golf course, which dates back to the 1930s.

Things to do

Barton-on-Sea is famous for its scenic stretch of coastline, which has great views of Milford on Sea, Hurst Castle and the Isle of Wight’s famous Needles – so a clifftop walk is always on offer. There’s also the opportunity to enjoy a round of golf at Barton-on-Sea Golf Club or perhaps a spot of fishing at Hordle or Orchard Lakes.

If you fancy a round of golf, Barton-on-sea Golf Club is a friendly and welcoming private members’ club founded in 1897, situated on the coastal cliff on the south coast of England between Christchurch in Dorset and Lymington in Hampshire. The current 27-hole course is a combination of the original Harry Colt design from 1932 and the newer holes designed by J. Hamilton Stutt, a founding member of the Association of British Golf Course Architects which were completed in 1992.

The picturesque course provides beautiful views across the green with breaks of blue lake in between. Members and day members are welcome to enjoy the beauty of Barton-on-Sea Golf Club and get stuck into some of the best bits of the New Forest and the surrounding area.

Elsewhere, there’s usually something going on at Forest Arts Centre in New Milton – from music to comedy, theatre to workshops and children’s activities.
While the National Motor Museum is only down the road at Beaulieu, you might be more of a two-wheeled fan, so the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum should be on your to-do list.
Home to one of the finest collections of fully restored motorcycles in the world, this is a living museum with almost every motorcycle in the museum in full running order. Sammy – 11 times British champion – demonstrates and parades many of the bikes throughout the year.
Further down the coast, away from the hum of Sammy’s motorbikes, is Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve – a haven for wildlife, especially birds flocking to the mudflats, including godwits and plovers, falcons and harriers. The reserve is an intertidal mudflat and saltmarsh, so much of it is out of bounds to human visitors, but there’s a good network of footpaths, including along the seawall with views across the marshes.

Famous people

A fair few famous people were either born in Barton-on-Sea or called it home, including writer and Suffragette Beatrice Harraden, and former Liverpool and England footballer Jamie Redknapp, who was born here.

At the east end of Barton was Becton Farm, where the famous show jumper Marion Coakes lived. Her horse, Stroller, is the only pony to have competed at the Olympics, winning silver in the 1968 Summer games. Stroller was buried at the farm, which now forms part of the golf course; a plaque still marks his resting place.

Where to stay

If you want to centre your New Forest stay around Barton-on-Sea, our stunning New Forest Collection has 4 venues you should definitely consider for your base; the country house retreat that is Burley Manor is just 24 minutes’ drive – wellness treatments and a proper grown-ups only stay awaits. Also in a leafy corner of Burley, Moorhill House (25 minutes from Barton-on-Sea) offers the New Forest on its doorstep as you unwind and relax with a glass of something wonderful. Elsewhere, the dog-friendly welcome of Beaulieu Inn is just over 30 minutes away, as is Forest Lodge, our beautiful townhouse hotel in the heart of Lyndhurst.