Free visits to Buckler’s Hard Museum and expert talks for Heritage Open Days Festival

August 12, 2026

Visitors are invited to make the most of Heritage Open Days Festival with free entry to Buckler’s Hard Museum on 11th, 12th and 13th September at the maritime village on the banks of the Beaulieu River.

Highlights include the exhibition HMS Agamemnon – Navigating the Legend, housed in the Shipwrights Workshop. This display reveals how nations are working together to protect the wreck of Admiral Nelson’s favourite ship. On Friday 11th at 11:30am and Sunday 13th September at 2:30pm, Mary Montagu-Scott, Chair of the Buckler’s Hard Shipyard Trust will give a free talk within the exhibition, sharing progress on the preservation project and her own experience of diving on the wreck.

Plus, on Saturday 12th September at 2pm, local historian Marc Heighway will present Beaulieu River in WWII, exploring the river’s vital role during the Second World War.

Visitors will also have the rare opportunity to step aboard HMS Medusa, a surviving World War II Harbour Defence Motor Launch which will be moored on the river for the weekend.

On your free visit to the museum, discover more about the maritime village where ships for Nelson’s fleet at Trafalgar were built. See exhibits, listen in on conversations between villagers of the past and follow residents’ stories in the exhibition of village life. Dogs are welcome on a lead in the museum, so bring the whole family along.

Free entry code

Heritage Open Days Festival brings together and celebrates heritage sites across the country. For free entry to Buckler’s Hard Museum, just quote the voucher code HOD26 at the admission desk on arrival.

Buckler’s Hard in the New Forest, Hampshire is accessible by foot, car, or motorbike. A parking charge contributes to the upkeep of the historic village.

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