Hythe

At the heart of the New Forest Waterside is Hythe, a busy shopping centre with ample parking, Hythe is steeped in maritime history both ancient and modern. It has witnessed the maiden voyages of majestic liners from the Titanic in 1912 and the Queen Elizabeth in the thirties to the QE2 and more recently the Aurora.

In the 1930s Hythe was home to the British Powerboat company and their most famous resident TE Lawrence     ( Lawrence of Arabia ) lived in the village. Hythe is also the birthplace of the Hovercraft and the inventor Sir Christopher Cockerill.

The unique electric train that runs along Hythe pier is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest working pier train in the world and no trip to Hythe is complete without a ride to the pier head to enjoy the dramatic view or take a ferry trip to nearby Southampton.