Visitors are flocking to a harbour town in Hampshire to enjoy its vibrant, picture-perfect high street, hailed as one of the prettiest in Britain.
The Georgian town of Lymington in New Forest enjoys the “best of both worlds” with its main strip boasting the architectural grandeur associated with market towns, as well as affordable souvenir shops and ocean air.
It also has a popular market every Saturday from 8am to 3pm. At the end of the road is Lymington River, from where boats set off for the Isle of Wight.
The Sunday Times swooned over the quaint community, lauding stores including clothes shop BBL and homeware outlet Willow.
Those looking for a higher-end stay might consider Georgian boutique hotel Stanwell House, an elegant hotel on the high street with rooms starting at £280 per night.
The impressive building was once finishing school for young ladies, before it became a hotel in 1945.
Meanwhile, its Stanwells store next door offers clothing from chic European labels like Golden Goose and Isabel Marant.
If you’re looking to take in a bit of culture, Hurst Castle – an artillery fort established by Henry VIII on the Hurst Spit – is to the west of the town, and the Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes are also close by.
Both marshes are beloved by both bird watchers, and groups looking for a fun and scenic day out in the the nature reserves. The sites are ranked among the Best Nature & Wildlife Areas in Hampshire on TripAdvisor.
Sadly, given it’s location it’s perhaps not the best destination if you’re looking for a beach holiday.
The closest beach is at Milford-on-Sea, four-mile drive westward, but this is a pebble beach. The beach at Barton-on-Sea is the nearest partially sandy one, and it’s seven miles westwards.