Formally a residence and then a school, this quiet contemplative Chapel is half-hidden in the middle of the west terrace at Buckler’s Hard with only a bell, sign and statue as clues to what lies behind the front door of number 82.
The alter frontal was designed and worked by Belinda, Lady Montagu and the centre cloth features the Tree of Life, also representing the wood which was used to build the ships at Buckler’s Hard. Seating only 40 people but welcoming thousands each year, St Mary’s remains a private chapel owned by the Montagu family but is administered within the Beaulieu benefice and is still regularly used for services of worship.
New for 2011 is a viewing window in the floor next to the altar, revealing a cellar below. Beaulieu River is believed to have been a major landing point for smuggled goods in the late 18th century and this cellar was probably used as a store for contraband.