It was disappointing to hear that you didn’t enjoy your visit to Buckler’s Hard. As well as the Maritime Museum, the Shipwright’s Cottage, the Captain’s Cabin Tea Rooms, and St Mary’s Chapel were open to visitors at the time of your visit. We have removed the admission fee for entering the village's outdoor areas, but to enable to us maintain this historic site, we have introduced a charge for car parking. The parking charge goes towards the upkeep of this important heritage area for future generations to enjoy.

Thank you for your review. We’re sorry you did not have a more enjoyable visit. To enhance your visit and learn more about the special heritage of Buckler's Hard, you have the option to pay a small admission charge to explore the Maritime Museum, however, the grounds of Buckler's Hard village, the Shipwright's Cottage, St Mary's Chapel, and the Captain's Cabin Tea Rooms Hotel are free for everyone to visit. The parking charge goes towards the upkeep of this important heritage area for years to come.

We were sorry to hear that your visit to Buckler’s Hard did not meet your expectations. As well as the Shipwright’s Cottage and Captain’s Cabin Tea Rooms, the Maritime Museum, St Mary’s Chapel, and the River Cruise were open to visitors at the time of your visit. We are sorry if you were not aware of this, however, we do advise checking our website in advance to plan your day.

Thank you for your fantastic review. We're so pleased to hear that you enjoyed discovering the history of Buckler's Hard. We hope to see you again soon.

Thank you for joining us! We're delighted to hear that you had a great day, and enjoyed a tranquil river cruise across the Beaulieu River.

Thank you for the review following your recent school trip visit with the Countryside Education Trust to Buckler’s Hard. Firstly to address your specific point about Buckler’s Hard and its establishment using funds from the slave trade. We do know and acknowledge in our exhibition and guidebook that John, the 2nd Duke of Montagu, founded Buckler’s Hard in the early 18th century as a free port for the import and export of sugar from the West Indies. Whilst he did attempt to establish a Caribbean settlement in St Lucia in 1722, the new colony failed within one month as they were ordered to leave by the French. This was also the case in St Vincent. His project was therefore abandoned. There is speculation that the 2nd Duke of Montagu may have benefitted from investment in the South Sea Company. This requires further research to understand whether any financial gains were then used to fund work on his Estates, including Buckler’s Hard as part of the Beaulieu Estate. Once we can definitively establish the facts, they will be openly acknowledged and explained as part of the Buckler’s Hard story. Finally in regards to your packed lunches, these were made as per the CET’s instructions. We’re sorry to hear your children didn’t enjoy their sandwiches, and it’s a shame this wasn’t mentioned to us on the day, as perhaps we could have swapped some of the elements of the lunch to ensure your children didn’t go hungry. We hope this didn’t spoil their enjoyment of the village too much.

It sounds like you had a fantastic day! Thank you for taking the time to share your review with us.