On the 81st anniversary of VE Day, we look forward to marking the Beaulieu River at War. The powerful exhibition explores our WWII story and can be seen for free at Buckler’s Hard from May 22 until the end of October.
Before the war, the Beaulieu River was a quiet, working waterway which witnessed an extraordinary increase in activity once requisitioned for naval use. Becoming part of a bigger story, the river and wider Beaulieu Estate were drawn into the urgent demands of wartime Britain.
As the war progressed and preparations for D-Day gathered pace, training intensified, secrecy tightened and the river became a setting for experiments and trials linked to the coming assault on occupied Europe. Elements connected to the Mulberry Harbour story were constructed locally, while Buckler’s Hard’s historic shipyard pivoted to wartime production, turning its skills to the building of vital naval vessels.
The Beaulieu River at War exhibition will be curated by local historian Marc Heighway and Mary Montagu-Scott for Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust.
The theme continues with Buckler’s Hard Wartime Weekend on June 13 & 14, with the opportunity to see Portsmouth Model Boat Display Team, step aboard Harbour Defence Motor Launch HMS Medusa while moored on the Beaulieu River, and visit free talks and displays.
Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust’s mission is to bring the story of Buckler’s Hard shipyard alive, with its rich history from medieval times to shipbuilding in the 18th and 19th centuries, its role in WWII, the global footprint of ships originating from it and its rural village community, as well as preserve it for future generations.
Buckler’s Hard is open seven days a week, where its museum tells the maritime story of the Beaulieu River.
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