Beaulieu Half Term Hauntings Review
Beaulieu
Half Term Hauntings
Hampshire
Reviewed by Natalie Kitchen
Myself, my husband and our 3 boys are all car mad so we tend to visit Beaulieu once a year (usually to watch their amazing firework displays and mooch around the museum) so we jumped at the chance to review it. We visited on an unseasonably warm day in October Half Term. The museum opens at 10am and we arrived at 11am and were directed to car park number 3 (there is plenty of parking) which is a short walk from the entrance. There were no queues to get the tickets as there were lots of staff to serve you. They provide you with a free map or you can buy a glossy book about the Abbey, Palace House and the National Motor Museum. As it was Halloween week they had a special event on called Half Term Hauntings. They had a Halloween quiz trail and a lucky dip once you’d completed it, costumed guides in the House and Abbey telling spooky stories, you could ride the moan-a-rail, and there was free face painting. We arrived with our 5 year old twins and left with Spiderman and Batman. They also offered half price admission to children dressed in Halloween costumes. They hold events throughout the year so it’s worth checking out the website before you go to see what is on.
Our first stop inside was to have lunch before we started exploring. It was lovely warm weather for October so we took a picnic. There are plenty of picnic tables dotted around, including some near the children’s playground which are undercover, and lots of grassy areas to sit. Or if you decide not to take a picnic they have the Brabazon restaurant which serves homemade meals and snacks. There is plenty of seating both indoor and on the terraces. After lunch the boys wanted to go on the monorail. There are 2 so we only had a short wait. The monorail goes through the motor museum and the kids really enjoy looking down on the cars. It also goes past the 13th Century Abbey and the Palace House (with a chance to get off here instead of doing the round trip if you want). There is a voice over as you go round that tells you a few facts about the Beaulieu sights.
Next stop for us was the ‘World of Top Gear’ which is a must see for any fans of the show. You start off in the Top Gear ‘Enormodrome’ which is a mini recreation of the Top Gear Studio complete with the ‘cool wall’. You watch a special behind the scenes video of the presenters filmed at the Top Gear studio. They also have lots of the Top Gear challenge cars on display. My little boys loved looking around the actual cars they’d seen on the TV show. We then went to visit the On Screen Cars display which features cars from your favourite TV shows and Films. Amongst others there is a Jaguar from James Bond, the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter, Del Boy’s 3 wheeler plus, my kids personal favourite, Mr Bean’s Mini.
We then headed in the motor museum. There are over 250 cars and motorbikes on display over 2 floors so it’s petrolhead heaven. There are some of the very earliest cars up to cars of the present day. There are land speed record breakers, F1 cars and rally cars. My 5 year olds face lit up when he saw a real life Mclaren F1 one car displayed on a stand hung at 45 degrees off the ceiling. Each of the cars has a little sign with details of the cars and facts and figures such as top speed and how much they cost new. You can get really close to them. And on the top floor there is a car you can get into and costumes to wear for some great photo opportunities. Downstairs there is a replica 1930s garage which recreates the sounds, sights and smells of a country garage and a classic bus that you can go on. There is also the Wheels ride. You sit in little pods and journey through the story of the past 100 years of motoring. The kids loved it.
If you’re not a car fan, fear not as there is plenty to do for the whole family. There are 3 lovely gardens, the Victorian Flower Garden, the Wilderness Garsen and the Ornamental Kitchen Garden as well as walks beside Beaulieu River with picturesque views of Beaulieu Village (a nice place to visit if you have time afterwards). There is also the 13th century Abbey where you can find out the history of the Abbey and about the daily lives of the Monks who founded it. I have 5 year old twins and a 2 year old so they found the Abbey a bit boring but loved running around the grounds. There is also the Palace House, home to the Montagu family. They have opened some of the rooms to the public and costumed guides are on hand to tell you interesting facts about the workings of a Victorian household. Our final stop of the day was the children’s playground, Mini Motor PlayTrail. For my car mad boys, this was the best playground they’d ever visited. There was a track around the outside with cosy coupe cars, old vintage cars and tractors to play in and a veteran bus climbing frame complete with a built in slide. There was also a driving circuit with motorised cars for kids 3-4 years upwards
Overall Beaulieu is a lovely family day out. There is something for everyone to do and enjoy. The staff were really friendly and everything was so clean. There are plenty of toilets and baby changes dotted around the place. On the way out there is also a large gift shop which is really reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend Beaulieu to my friends
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £10.50 to £55 (under 5’s free) – book in advance online and save 10%.
For more information or to books tickets visit www.beaulieu.co.uk.
Beaulieu, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, United Kingdom, SO42 7ZN | 01590 612345
