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Britannia House - Lymington

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Waterfront B&B with a difference

For a seaside holiday with a difference, Britannia House is a great place to stay. Sitting on Lymington Quay, within spitting distance of the town’s cute railway station, logistically it couldn’t be better placed for a weekend escape. Step inside though, and the escape continues, with tasteful, yet decidedly quirky, furnishings and grand bedrooms that wouldn’t look out of place in a stately home. Britannia’s young and charismatic owner, Tobias, has unsurprisingly won several awards for his luxury guest house and has recently built on his success by opening a second phase of luxury bedrooms in another building across the road.

Bedrooms in the original building are cosy and fun, with eclectic design mixing with sumptuous beds, crisp linen and great en-suite bathrooms. The three rooms are all different, and it’s worth trying to have a nose around when no one’s looking! A beautiful lounge, with huge sash windows overlooking the sailboats outside and a lovely original fireplace, is a great place to chill out, while Tobias’ generous breakfasts are served in a big country kitchen downstairs.

Britannia View, the new ‘wing’ of Britannia House, is equally luxurious, only with slightly less of the character found in the original. Housed inside a smart, modern building, rooms are neutrally decorated with gleaming white en-suite bathrooms and big windows. Breakfast is still served over the road, so guests get the best of both worlds.

Where is it?

Lymington is a gorgeous South Coast harbour town, which is hugely popular with UK and international sailors alike. The Georgian architecture throughout and winding, narrow streets in the old part of the town, lend it a real Austen-esque quality, which, thanks in part to the wealth brought in by the yachtie set, has been largely left unspoilt. It’s also the perfect bolthole for anyone looking for a quick escape from the city.

Lymington’s obvious attraction is its harbour, a huge estuary at the west end of The Solent with three marinas, filled with clanking boats of all sizes. For keen or budding sailors it is paradise, with countless opportunities to get out on the water. Hurst Point Yachts (www.hurstpointyachts.co.uk Tel: 01590 623765) offer daily bareboat or skippered charters on their fleet of six yachts, ranging from 32ft upwards. For those more petrolly-minded, a speedy trip out on a RIB (Rigid Inflatable Boat aka ‘the ones lifeboat men use’) will definitely blow some city cobwebs away. Solent Rib Charter (www.solentribcharter.co.uk Tel: 07887 635000) are the best RIB outfit in Lymington.

If you’re after something a little more sedate, Lymington Quay is the place for catching a sightseeing cruise. Whether you fancy venturing over to the Isle of Wight, the pretty market town of Christchurch and the beach at Mudeford Spit along the coast, historic Hurst Castle or the gorgeous house and village at Beaulieu, you’ll find a boat willing to take you. One of two brilliant websites Lymington has to offer (www.lymington.org – the other is www.lymington.com) has the full list of cruise operators and their routes.

Had enough of the water? Then drive a few miles inland from Lymington and you’ll be in the heart of The New Forest - miles and miles of tranquil forest and heathland to explore on foot, by bike or (the most exciting option in our opinion) on horseback. Read The Weekenders Guide to The New Forest for a full round-up of what to see and where to eat in the area.

Where can I eat?

As an internationally-renowned port-of-call, Lymington is home to some fantastic restaurants. New kid on the block, Stanwell House (www.stanwellhouse.com Tel: 01590 677123), has both a stylish bistro and fantastic seafood restaurant – the only dedicated seafood restaurant in town. With dishes created almost solely from produce collected at Lymington Quay that morning, it offers a unique opportunity to actually ‘eat’ Lymington, as well as just stay there. And that doesn’t happen too often…

For something a little more relaxed, the buzzy Vanilla Pod Café (www.vanillapodcafe.com Tel: 01590 673828) offers light and simple dishes made from local ingredients. They have recently opened their doors to evening diners on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, but it’s their delicious lunch menus which have made Vanilla Pod so popular. You can eat in the light and airy café, or take away one of their fantastic ‘picnic pods’ for a multi-course feast down at the water’s edge.

But if you’re looking for that really special dining experience, a 15 minute car journey will drop you at Chewton Glen (www.chewtonglen.com Tel: 01425 275341), a five-star hotel and spa, whose restaurant was recently named as one of the 25 best in the UK by Egon Ronay. Head Chef Luke Matthews has created a fabulous menu – sophisticated and very special, without any hint of pomposity. And the wine list is extraordinary – definitely worth the taxi fare from Lymington!

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For a seaside holiday with a difference, Britannia House is a great place to stay. Sitting on Lymington Quay, within spitting distance of the town’s cute railway station, logistically it couldn’t be better placed for a weekend escape.