50th anniversary, 5 Gold Anchors & 66 new berths

It’s been a big year at Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour in the Beaulieu River in Hampshire. The marina celebrated its 50th anniversary, was awarded 5 Gold Anchors and completed a major redevelopment.

Built in 1971 by the Beaulieu Estate, the original marina was charming but designed around the smaller boats of the era. The redevelopment delivers larger berths and fairways alongside the facilities that modern boat owners expect, future-proofing the marina for the coming decades.

Redevelopment

The redevelopment provides 66 new walk-ashore berths to suit vessels up to 20m, a new dedicated visitors’ area, upgraded electrical services, improved WiFi, pump-out and a new filtered wash down facility.

As a key appeal of the Beaulieu River is its natural beauty and scenic New Forest location, environmental considerations were a high priority. The redevelopment includes a black water pump-out facility for boaters and a modern wash down area in the yard, enabling pressure washing to be undertaken in an environmentally sensitive manner.

The contractors worked over two consecutive winters on the project, reusing existing infrastructure where possible alongside the best modern equipment and design. Unique to the Beaulieu River, they pioneered a way to repurpose the original greenheart timber piles, reusing in their entirety where possible, or creating a new ‘hybrid’ pile, combing a section of the existing timber with a steel encasement below the waterline. This sustainable method has helped retain the traditional charm of the marina and minimised the environmental impact.

Half a century since it opened, the new-look marina on the banks of the Beaulieu River is now ready for the next chapter of its history. Harbour Master Wendy Stowe said: “We’re so proud that Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour has reached such an important milestone in its history and that our berth and mooring holders have been really enjoying all of the new and improved facilities”.

Read the full Beaulieu River case study.

For more information about Buckler’s Hard Yacht Harbour and Beaulieu River, visit beaulieuriver.co.uk

How can we help your business?

If you’d like to talk about how Harbour Assist can help you when you’re extending or reconfiguring your marina, drop us an email.