See ancient shipbuilding skills come to life as the shipwright school returns to Buckler’s Hard for may bank holiday weekend

Watch hands-on shipwrightry at Buckler’s Hard when the Shipwright School returns to the maritime village on the banks of the Beaulieu River for the late May bank holiday weekend.

From Sunday 28th May – Thursday 1st June, see maritime archaeology students bring to life ancient shipbuilding techniques which would have been used at Buckler’s Hard when ships for Nelson’s fleet at Trafalgar were built there.

The University of Southampton students will take a step back in time – shaping oak timbers from the Beaulieu Estate, working with the tools of 18th century shipbuilders, discovering the challenges they faced and how to overcome them.

Enter Buckler’s Hard for free and explore the historic village which featured in the new BBC and Disney FX adaptation of Charles Dickens’ Great Expectations.

n the Shipwrights Workshop see the recently opened HMS Agamemnon – Navigating the Legend exhibition, which shows how nations are working together to preserve the world’s only surviving wreck of a ship built at Buckler’s Hard. See a film of the story, model of the 64-gun ship and artefacts from Nelson’s favourite vessel, affectionately known as ‘Eggs and Bacon’ by her crew.

Step inside the original Shipwright’s Cottage and charming St Mary’s Chapel, with a smugglers’ cellar under the altar, then pass preserved cottages which line the gently sloping street on its way to the water’s edge. Or simply enjoy a riverside stroll in the picturesque village where time flows differently.