One of the best things about visiting (and living in) the New Forest has to be the beaches of the area. As well miles and miles of woodland, pony-dotted meadows, and heather-clad heath, the New Forest coastline offers family friendly stretches of pebble, shingle, and sandy beach.
Some are lined with colourful beach huts, while others are dog friendly for some or part of the year, so you can take coastal walks with your furry friend. From couples taking romantic breaks to group holidays or visiting with children, the New Forest coast offers stunning scenery, a laid-back seaside lifestyle – and something for everyone.
If you’re visiting the New Forest National Park and hanker after a cooling dip in the sea, a bracing seaside walk, photographing colourful rows of huts, or stretching out on the sand, here’s where to find a sand or shingle beach that ticks all your boxes.
These are the best New Forest beaches to add to your hit list. While they’re not all within the national park boundaries, they are all easy to reach from Beaulieu, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, Lymington, Burley, and other local towns and villages.
Not all the coastal spots listed here are, strictly speaking, beaches. But if you read on, you’ll discover why they’re included. From east to west, here are over 15 of the best beaches in the New Forest area.
New Forest Beaches Contents
- Calshot Beach
- Lepe Country Park
- Tanners Lane
- Lymington Sea Water Baths
- Milford-on-Sea
- Hordle Cliff
- Barton-on-Sea
- Highcliffe
- Highcliffe Castle
- Friar’s Cliff
- Avon Beach
- Mudeford Quay
- Hengistbury Head
- Southbourne, Boscombe, and Bournemouth
15+ Best New Forest Beaches
Calshot Beach
- Type: Shingle
- Parking: Calshot Car Park, SO45 1BR
- Dogs permitted: On a short lead
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe
- Points of interest: Calshot Activities Centre, Calshot Castle
Calshot Beach is located by where Southampton Water heads inland, like a finger. It’s the most easterly of the beaches near the New Forest, and a popular sea fishing spot.
This is a dog-friendly, shingle beach with parking, a cafe, and toilets. Calshot Activities Centre can also be found here. This is one of the biggest outdoor adventure centres in the UK, and offers water and land based pursuits. It has a dry ski slope, a climbing wall, and the country’s oldest indoor velodrome.
Calshot Castle is also located close to the village and beach. Often, you can also spot big ocean liners from the shoreline.
Lepe Country Park
- Type: Sand and shingle
- Parking: Lepe Country Park, SO45 1AD
- Dogs permitted: October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe, Playground, All-terrain Wheelchairs
- Points of interest: WWII D-Day remains, Wildflower Meadows
Lepe Country Park is one of the most popular sandy beaches in the New Forest area. It stretches for around a mile, and has some shingle as well as sand. If you’re interested in history, this is the one for you, as it’s possible to see original D-Day defences at the end of the beach that have been here since World War II.
Lepe has plenty of facilities, including parking, the Lookout cafe, a kids’ play park, and disabled access via all-terrain wheelchairs. There are also wildflower meadows to admire in spring and summer.
Tanners Lane
- Type: Mud and sand
- Parking: On road
- Dogs permitted: Yes
- Amenities: None
- Points of interest: Popular for Wild Swimming
It’s barely a beach, really, but the fact that Tanners Lane (near Lymington) is a secluded spot with no real amenities can be part of the appeal. You can park by the foreshore, and expect a mixture of sand and mud underfoot.
Simple pleasures are offered at this small beach near Lymington, such as a peaceful sunbathing, or catching crabs. It’s also a popular wild swimming spot.
Lymington Sea Water Baths
- Type: Sea water baths
- Parking: Bath Road Car Park, SO41 3SE
- Dogs permitted: N/A
- Amenities: 110 Metre Pool, Lifeguards, Wetsuit Hire, Toilets, Showers, Changing Rooms, Kiosk, Picnic Area, Covered Seating
- Points of interest: Inflatables, Kayaking, SUP, Zorbing
No, it’s not a beach. But you can find the UK’s oldest lido in Lymington. At more than 100 metres long, it’s also one of the largest. The baths are open between May and September, and have been operating here since the 1830s.
Do note that this is a natural saltwater pool. The bottom is therefore stony, so beach shoes are recommended. Wetsuits are worn by many, as the water can be chilly; you can hire these here if required. As changing facilities are both limited and basic, ideally arrive ready to swim if that’s practical.
In addition to swimming, Lymington Sea Water Baths offers inflatable fun. You can also try out stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking, or even zorbing.
You can also follow the walking route between Lymington and Keyhaven Nature Reserve and marshes from here. This will take you all the way to Hurst Castle spit. This picturesque spot offers sweeping coastal views, plus a fortress, a lighthouse, and cafe.
Milford-on-Sea
- Type: Pebble
- Parking: Hurst Road Car Park, SO41 0PY
- Dogs permitted: Yes
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe, Children’s playground
- Points of interest: Concrete beach huts
Stroll from the shops in the centre of timeless Milford-on-Sea to reach the Needles Eye cafe and the main beach in the village. There’s a good kids’ play park here, and a row of unique concrete beach huts that no storm should see off!
The beach itself is pebble, but it’s a lovely place for a stroll, a play, a picnic, or a cafe visit. It’s also worth wandering up to the village, which is charmingly old-fashioned, and offers a good range of places to shop, eat, and drink.
Hordle Cliff
- Type: Pebble, + sand at low tide
- Parking: Hordle Cliff Car Park, SO41 0UX
- Dogs permitted: Yes
- Amenities: Toilets, Kiosk, Beach Huts, Water Sports
- Points of interest: Popular with Kitesurfers
Whether you want to let the dog off the lead or have a beach barbecue, both are permitted at Hordle Cliff beach. At low tide, a sand bar also appears here.
There’s also beach huts on two levels, plus a stall selling snacks and drinks. Hordle Cliff beach is also popular for water sports including kayaking, kite surfing, and paddleboarding, as well as swimming.
Barton-on-Sea, New Milton
- Type: Pebble
- Parking: Marine Drive West Car Park, BH25 7EG
- Dogs permitted: Yes
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe, Restaurant
- Points of interest: Popular with Paragilders
Though the beach is pebble, there is so much space at Barton-on-Sea. It’s dog friendly, and it’s lovely walking along the cliff top, by the big grassy expanses. Paragliders often take off from here, which is a colourful spectacle.
Local places to eat and drink include the family-run Beachcomber cafe, and the Cliff House restaurant. This is a relaxed stretch for enjoying fresh air and the coastal lifestyle, though it’s not the best if you’re seeking soft sands. It’s great for fossil-hunters, though, so keep your eyes peeled!
The small town of New Milton is also close by. So you need shopping or any other amenities, a few minutes by car will get you there.
Highcliffe, Christchurch
- Type: Sand and shingle, with groynes
- Parking: Highcliffe Cliff Top Car Park, BH23 5DF
- Dogs permitted: On a lead, or off-lead October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe
- Points of interest: Hoburne Naish, Highcliffe village
Compact Highcliffe Beach sits below the cliffs in front of Hoburne Naish Holiday Park, and can be directly accessed via a path from there. You can also get to it via a quick walk down Waterford Road, from Highcliffe village.
There’s a large car park, and the smart Cliffhanger cafe plus a unit selling coffee and ice cream. You can access the beach via a broad, steep, tarmac path, or a series of rather uneven steps. Around halfway along the path is Chewton Bunny – so take a guess what sort of local wildlife you might spot here!
Do note that there’s not much sand on the main section when the tide is in. It’s quite popular with board riders when surf’s up. Head right instead to reach the series of groynes – it’s often easy to get one all to yourself, even in summer. The rules regarding dogs here depend which part of the beach you’re at.
Highcliffe Castle, Christchurch
- Type: Sand and shingle
- Parking: Highcliffe Castle Car Park, BH23 4LD
- Dogs permitted: On a lead, or off-lead October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe, Gift Shop
- Points of interest: Highcliffe Castle
Make like Mr Selfridge by visiting Highcliffe Castle, which was once his home. The fortress was featured in the TV series, and, once a ruin, has been lovingly restored thanks to lottery funding. You can tour the castle, and there’s a nice gift shop and cafe with outdoor seating, plus large lawns for picnicking.
What wasn’t here in Mr Selfridge’s day is the zig-zag path. This offers easy access to the beach. It was rebuilt a few years back after the first attempt failed, and here’s a fun fact. My daughter, then aged around five, cut the ribbon when the second version was opened! We simply got lucky when she was picked out of the crowd. I still have the piece of ‘ribbon’ – which in fact looks more like a curtain lining offcut 😉
Head west from Highcliffe Castle car park, and you can walk to neighbouring Friar’s Cliff, via Steamer Point Nature Reserve. It’s a nice stroll through woodland, and popular with local dog walkers. There’s a couple of picnic tables en route, set in a small glade surrounded by shrubs, brambles, and trees. You might even spot some rabbits running around here, too.
Friar’s Cliff, Christchurch
- Type: Sand and shingle, with groynes
- Parking: Steamer Point Car Park, BH23 4TA
- Dogs permitted: On a lead, or off-lead October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe
- Points of interest: Colourful beach huts
To the west of Steamer Point Nature Reserve is Friar’s Cliff beach. This one features a series of colourful beach huts, which are privately owned – and change hands for considerable sums of money!
The excellent Beach Hut Cafe – one of my local favourites – can also be found here. Whether you want a filling breakfast by the sea, a sweet treat such as a cake or ice cream, or a great cup of coffee, the friendly folk at the Beach Hut Cafe can provide it with a smile. In fact they have such a community spirit that they open on Christmas Day for bacon sandwiches, with proceeds going to the local Macmillan unit.
In our experience, this is one of the best local beaches for shell collecting, too.
Avon Beach, Christchurch
- Type: Sand and shingle
- Parking: Avon Beach Car Park, BH23 4AN
- Dogs permitted: On a lead, or off-lead October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Restaurant, Fish and Chips and Coffee Kiosks, General Store, Beach Hut Hire, Picnic Tables
- Points of interest: Popular with Windsurfers
The main car park for Avon Beach is right by the Noisy Lobster, a popular local restaurant offering stunning sea views. This area is a hive of activity all year round. There are many amenities, too, including a shop, other food and drink stalls, toilets, and picnic tables.
You can hire the beach huts here, as they’re owned by the same people who oversee the restaurant and shop. Daily rates are offered, and due to the quantity, availability is rarely a problem. There’s even an occasions hut for rent, which is popular with local families hosting kids’ parties: unfortunately when we attended one the weather was wet and windy!
When conditions are right, the car park here becomes packed with windsurfers, and you’ll see lots of colourful sails out at sea.
Head west from the car park and Noisy Lobster, and the path between Avon Beach and Mudeford Quay passes little Gundimore Beach en route. It’s barely a separate entity, but offers another stretch to spread out on, plus another row of pretty beach huts painted in ice cream shades.
Mudeford Quay, Christchurch
- Type: Quay
- Parking: Mudeford Quay Car Park, BH23 4AB
- Dogs permitted: N/A
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafe, Pub, General Store, Seafood Kiosk, Water Sports tuition and hire
- Points of interest: Mudeford Ferry, Popular for Crabbing
Like Lymington Sea Water Baths, this isn’t a beach as such. But you can take a lovely walk by the water. Crabbing is also hugely popular here, especially during the school summer holidays.
Facilities include a seafood stall, a shop (which of course sells crabbing buckets), a cafe, and toilets. You can also arrange water sports equipment hire through Shore Sports by Mudeford Dinghy Park.
There’s a pub right here, too – the Haven House Inn, which seems every inch the historic smugglers’ haunt. Mudeford Quay is also the starting point for ferries to Mudeford Sandspit, aka Hengistbury Head. This off-grid area is home to some of the priciest beach huts in the UK, where you can stay overnight. As long as you don’t mind having access to your car, and no private bathroom.
Hengistbury Head, Bournemouth
- Type: Sand and shingle
- Parking: Hengistbury Head Car Park, BH6 4EL
- Dogs permitted: Yes
- Amenities: Cafe, Shop, Toilets, Showers
- Points of interest: Overnight Beach Huts
If you don’t mind venturing a little further, the beaches on the eastern side of Bournemouth don’t lie much beyond Christchurch. The most notable is the beach hut lined stretch at Hengistbury Head, which you can see from the Christchurch beaches. You can get to the car park by road, or as a foot passenger by ferry from Mudeford Quay.
It’s worth visiting just to capture the colourful beach huts on camera. As well as to see how people live while staying here – in compact quarters, with shared bathroom blocks and no road access. Nor is there any WiFi.
This is also a laid-back place to spend the day. There’s a cafe, a small shop, and the ferry service from Mudeford Quay. You can catch the Hengistbury Head land train from the Hiker Cafe by the car park, which takes just over 10 minutes.
Otherwise, cycle along, or take a leisurely walk. Spending time here is all about slowing down, unwinding, and disconnecting. So don’t come here when you’re in a hurry!
Lovers of flora and fauna – birdlife in particular – will want to explore further while visiting this unique area.
Southbourne, Boscombe, and Bournemouth
- Type: Sand
- Parking: Free at Southbourne Coast Road and Southbourne Overcliff Drive; Boscombe Undercliff Car Park, BH5 1BN; Bath Road Car Park, BH1 2EW; and more
- Dogs permitted: Dog-friendly section at Fisherman’s Walk Beach; otherwise on a lead, or off-lead October to April
- Amenities: Toilets, Cafes, Kiosks, Beach Huts, and more
- Points of interest: Boscombe and Bournemouth Piers, Bournemouth Town Centre
There are miles of beach between Hengistbury Head and Bournemouth. Firstly, heading west, there’s Southbourne, which has a dog-friendly stretch at Fisherman’s Walk. You can also park for free in the road-side spaces at Southbourne Coast Road and Southbourne Overcliff Drive. It’s a downhill walk to the seafront from here, via one of the zig-zag paths.
There are stalls, cafes, and toilets dotted along the shoreline. For more amenities, head to the area around Boscombe or Bournemouth Piers. The latter is also close to the busy town centre, so it’s easy to make a whole day of it by going shopping, dining out, seeing a film or show, or visiting other local attractions. You’ll also find a number of shops and places to eat by Boscombe Pier.
The Bournemouth Seafront Land Train is also a fun way to travel between the two piers.
While Bournemouth beaches are a little further away, they’re also more sandy than those closer to the New Forest. They also tend to be busier, although Southbourne doesn’t usually get too crowded.
Want to discover more of the New Forest? Find out about villages and towns of the New Forest, the top things to do in the New Forest, the best things to do in Christchurch.
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