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A BRIEF VILLAGE HISTORY
Buckler's Hard is one of England's most attractive and unusual villages. It was created in the early 18th century by the 2nd Duke of Montagu, who planned to build a free port, Montagu Town, on the banks of the Beaulieu River for the import and export of sugar from the West Indies. The idea failed to get off the ground when the French captured the islands, but from the 1740's the site was used for the building of over 50 wooden ships for the Royal Navy.

The Master Shipbuilder, Henry Adams, and his sons built many ships, including Agamemnon, Euryalus and Swiftsure, all of which fought at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805. Agamemnon was said to be Nelson's favourite ship; while serving as her captain he met Lady Hamilton in Naples and, later, lost the sight of his right eye at the siege of Calvi. The dispatch conveying news of Nelson's death at Trafalgar was written on Euryalus.

The advent of iron ships saw the demise of shipbuilding at Buckler's Hard and it became a sleepy rural village, but in the early years of the 20th century the Beaulieu River became popular with yachtsman and this popularity increased between the two World Wars.

During the 2nd World War, the village and surrounding area became a hive of activity and access was restricted. Parts of the Mulberry harbours were built in the old oyster beds as men and landing craft gathered for D-Day. In more recent times, Buckler's Hard has been the homeport of Sir Francis Chichester.

Visit The Buckler's Hard Story to find out more about its origins, the building of ships for Nelson's Navy, the role of the River in the D-Day landings, and Chichester's epic round the world voyages. The displays and exhibits include ship models, photographs, a scale model depicting the village in 1803, and a Puckle's gun, designed to fire round bullets at Christians and square ones at everyone else! Eavesdrop in the reconstructed cottage interiors from 1793 or sit back and relax on a cruise along the Beaulieu River on today's Swiftsure. The commentary highlights points of interest on the return journey from Buckler's Hard to the North Solent Nature Reserve.

John, 2nd Duke of Montagu, inherited the manor of Beaulieu in 1709. In 1722, he organised and financed an expedition to the West Indies with the aim of establishing sugar plantations. The idea was to build a free port, Montagu Town, for the import and export of sugar from the islands of St Lucia and St Vincent.

The plan showed a quay, houses, wide streets, a chapel, sea baths, extensive storehouses and a market place. By the end of 1724, several acres of forest had been cleared and a road built to the edge of the Beaulieu River, and a few houses on either side of this main street soon followed.

Unfortunately, the expedition to the West Indies was not a success, as the French landed a superior force on the islands and Montagu Town remained a dream. Following the death of the 2nd Duke of Montagu in 1749, the settlement became known as Buckler's Hard. By that time, a quay had been built with six houses on both sides of the present main street, including what is now the Master Builder's House Hotel.