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All you need to know
For those looking for holidays in Highcliffe, its location along the cliff tops on the far south-eastern tip of Dorset, almost touching the border of the New Forest National Park, makes it the perfect choice for a beach and forest escape.
Our holiday cottages in Highcliffe are within easy reach of the town’s high street, which is lined with an assorted parade of independent shops, galleries, boutiques, gift shops, food stores, and lovely places to eat – there’s no shortage of fabulous places for dinner.
But the main draw of this little town is the beach that runs for a few miles east to west depending on where you enter the beach, you’ll find it lined with colourful beach huts, leafy low-rise cliffs, sand dunes and walking paths. There are a good number of car parks, a couple of cafes and huts for refreshments, but by and large, the area remains beautifully unspoilt, and it doesn’t tend to get ridiculously busy, even in the height of the season.
Views from both the cliff top and the beach are wonderful, spanning the bay from the Isle of Wight in the east across to Hengistbury Head Nature Reserve to the west. The cliff top is home to Highcliffe Castle Golf Club where visitors are very welcome, and two more nature reserves - Steamer Point and Chewton Bunny which are well worth exploring and they are dog-friendly too.
Highcliffe beach starts with soft, clean golden sand with a signposted lifeguard service (to the left of the slope) during the summer. As you head further east, the sand eventually turns into pebbles. The gentle shelving from the shoreline offers easy swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding access. But if that feels too energetic, throw down a towel to sunbathe or just sit and look out to sea – a truly magical sight. The adjacent beach at Avon (to the west) and the far east of Highcliffe beach are popular spots for surfers, with plenty of benches and vantage points to watch the waves roll in.
Best of all, if you are bringing your pup for a dog-friendly holiday in Highcliffe, you’ll find that a large section of Highcliffe beach is open all year round for dogs to go off lead to run, play and swim!
The jewel in Highcliffe’s crown is Highcliffe Castle, a Grade I listed building said to be ‘the best remaining example of 19th-century romantic architecture ‘. It was built in the 1830s by Charles Stuart, 1st Baron Stuart de Rothesay and was later rented to Harry Selfridge, founder of the famous London department store of the same name. Nowadays its manicured gardens and photogenic arches lend the castle to be used as a wedding venue, and when not in use by brides and grooms it’s open to the public with a calendar of exhibitions and events throughout the year.
It's just a five-minute drive to the New Forest from Highcliffe and there’s the option of travelling by train, with the mainline (London to Weymouth) station just over a mile away at Hinton Admiral. If you fancy exploring the area a bit more, make a beeline for Mudeford Quay to hire paddle boards and kayaks. You can also book a fishing trip or whizz around the bay in a high-speed RIB.
Make time to visit the very pretty and historic market town of Christchurch with its magnificent priory as it is only a few miles west. Further on, the buzzing metropolis of Bournemouth and Poole is easy to get to for shopping, bars and legendary nightlife. Close-by attractions include Snowtrax Alpine Activity Centre for dry ski slope fun, a day at Adventure Wonderland will ensure lots of smiles from the little ones and Bournemouth Aviation Museum, Sammy Millers Motor Bike Museum and Liberty’s Owl, Raptor and Reptile Centre appeal to all ages.
This magnificent Grade 1 Listed Cliff top mansion was built by Lord Stuart de Rothesay in the early 1830’s. Derelict for over two decades, the Castle is now fully restored externally, although not internally. Within the rooms visitors can find information on the Castle’s intriguing history as well as an extensive programme of exhibitions
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Well worth a visit very interesting, lovely grounds, car parking with access to the beach
September 2023
Taking the title as the home for the world’s most beautiful motorcycles, the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum is the brainchild of motorcycling legend Sammy Miller - 11 time British Champion, and winner of over 1400 events and counting - this is a living museum with almost every motorcycle in full running order. Perfect for petrol heads!
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Brilliant, very interesting. Nice cafe serving delicious food.
August 2017
Fantastic and interesting visit. Great place to go on a day when the weather isn’t so good. Bit expensive but worth it.
April 2019
Great place for a visit. Interesting and cafe was good
August 2020
Very interesting. However, the new extension was a bit stifling in masks when the sun was shining. Pleasant staff in tea room
September 2020
Very interestin* place and courtyard cafe was good
June 2021
Amazing day out and main reason for visiting the area for my husbands 80th Birthday
October 2021
Excellent day out and reasonably priced entrance fee.
October 2022
This dramatic headland situated to the south of Christchurch Harbour is a great place for a day out walking or cycling for all the family. It is an outstanding site for wildlife and archaeology and offers beautiful beaches and views, as well as a visitor centre and several cafés. Access is easy for all ages and abilities, there is a land train linking it to Mudeford Spit and ferries to Christchurch.
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Really enjoyed the walk here...had lovely weather...brilliant for taking children & dogs for a run
October 2020
Very peaceful, beautiful surroundings, we look forward to visiting again when we are next on holiday in the New Forest.
May 2023
Beautiful, take the ferry from Christchurch, very enjoyable
September 2023
Barton on Sea Golf Club was founded in 1897 and is situated on a cliff top between Highcliffe and Milford-on-Sea. It has 27 holes and an elegant clubhouse so you can enjoy your round, take in the views and then head in for a pint or Sunday lunch. Members are welcome to bring guests and green fees start at £40.
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Welcoming beginners, intermediate riders and seasoned pros, Burley Villa School of Riding in the heart of the New Forest gives you the chance to go horse riding across these ancient lands and take in its abundant natural beauty. Pony trails, Kids Brush n Ride activities, Western saddle riding lessons or simply a trot observing the wildlife - it’s the New Forest at its finest.
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Super day out. They are great at selecting the right horse for your ability, even if you are a bit nervous.
April 2019
A stone’s throw from one of the most beautiful stretches of beach, The Oaks Highcliffe has Hamptons vibes in abundance. Enjoy a drink on the terrace overlooking the garden or book one of the beach huts for a private dining experience with a difference or sit out under the stars to enjoy delicious al fresco dining. Inside you can find a cosy bar and an airy brasserie serving home-cooked seasonal food with a French twist.
The Oaks, 189 Lymington Rd, Highcliffe, Christchurch BH23 5EA (T: 01425 283377)
Excellent food and service
July 2023
Excellent! Beautiful environment, lovely attentive friendly staff. Food and wine excellent. 2 lovely evenings spent here. Bonus of blue light discount
September 2023
A popular pub serving up delicious dishes full of seasonal flavour alongside a variety of drinks including local cask ales and all your favourites. Relax in the beer garden on sunny days where you’ll find plenty of seating or come inside to the bar and restaurant. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinners including kids options daily.
The Globe 266 Lymington Rd, Highcliffe, Christchurch BH23 5ET (T: 01425 271360)
Authentic Thai restaurant in the heart of Highcliffe
Similan Thai, 251 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5EB (T: 01425 280888)
An authentic French bistro and patisserie run by multi -Michelin starred chef Charles Lebas. Expect well executed, beautifully presented French classics alongside weekly changing specials married with an excellent wine list.
Bistro My Way 253 Lymington Road, Highcliffe BH23 5EB (T: 01425 274333)
Excellent food and wine, thoroughly enjoyed our evening, lovely friendly efficient staff.
September 2023
Specialising in inventive cooked breakfasts full of local organic ingredients, the Paddle is a stylish café in the heart of Highcliffe. The menu has everything you can imagine including vegan options and breakfast tipples including Bloody Marys and Mimosas, everything is made from scratch and is available until 2pm. Cakes, hots drinks and sandwiches also available.
The Paddle 397 Lymington Road, Highcliffe, BH23 5JN (T: 01425 275148)
Highcliffe beach, beneath the popular Cliffhanger Restaurant is a part sandy, part pebble beach. The beach has sloping access as well as steps down to the shore from the pay and display clifftop car park. To the east, Highcliffe beach towards Barton on Sea is a part sandy beach at the foot of the second most eroded cliff in England. This side of the beach is dog-friendly all year. However do check the tide times as high tide can make it difficult to walk along the beach.
To the west towards Highcliffe Castle beach, the promenade leads across the top of the small beaches inbetween the groynes with views across Christchurch Bay and Hengistbury Head. Groynes 4-8 have dog restrictions as does the promenade during the summer months, May-September.
A picturesque, tree-lined beach of shingle, and sand at low tide. Good facilities on the cliff top including an excellent tea room, public toilets, baby change and a children’s play area in the Castle gardens. Plenty of parking and sloping access down to the beach. Highcliffe Castle beach is dog-friendly all year round.
Lovely clean sandy beach and a really i would highly recommend this spot for your car to break down takes the ouch out of waiting for the recovery truck
April 2017
Lovely
April 2019
Very picturesque beach with great access, looks good for a beach day
October 2021
A family friendly beach close to Mudeford and Christchurch Harbour with plenty to do for all. For those with disabilities or small children there is a beach level carpark, and to keep everyone safe there is a designated bathing area and a seperate area allocated for watersports, all overseen by lifeguards in the summer months. This pretty sand and shingle beach is backed by trees and countryside and if you fancy some fresh local seafood or simply a coffee, ice cream or a cold drink, the beach is home to the excellent Noisy Lobster, serving breakfast, lunch and supper all year round.
Beautiful beach, lots of sand for youngsters- definitely been high on our favourites list, for more than 30 years and still is now the 'children' are nearly 30! - well worth the drive from New Forest. The Noisy Lobster is great and now has an 'outdoor upstairs' too. The Beach Cafe, half-way along, is excellent too- used to do very good carrot cake! The connecting beach towards Steamer Point is dog-friendly all year which is a bonus. Walking to the quay end, you can catch the ferry to Hengistbury Head which is beautiful beach too and often quieter (top favourite!) Even this last week (JULY 2021) the 'kids' wanted to crab-fish from Mudeford Quay!!
August 2021
Nice beach with good facilities
April 2023
This is one of the most scenic of New Forest beaches. Lined with some of the most picturesque and expensive beach huts in the country! There’s no parking next to the beach, as it’s a traffic-free zone, but there’s pay and display parking at Hengistbury Head from where you can catch a little train to the sandbank, and Mudeford Quay which runs a small ferry (5 mins) over to the sandbank. Can also be reached on foot and by bicycle.
Beautiful place, our favourite beach in south of England. It feels like an island, when you go over on the ferry and at times (off-season!) on sunny days it can feel like a little piece of Heaven, it's so peaceful and beautiful- bit of a sense of New England. There's a super little 'restaurant', the Beach Hut, which does great breakfasts, meals all day and some evenings. Also takeaway eg pizzas, you can eat on the beach. Very simple surroundings, with a sheltered veranda that can be uncovered in fine weather, and amazing views. Quite pricey and often very busy (and you are best to ring and check opening times and book since often weather and ferry-dependant) but the quality of the food and those stunning views make it more than worthwhile!
March 2018
As usual, stunning. 4 ferries but sadly the Land train not running although according to their web site they were. Always visit when in the area
September 2020
This is a holiday must. A short ferry out to amazing beach makes for a great day out.
September 2022
A stony beach with sandy areas as the tide goes out, and a great spot to do some fossil hunting. The cliffs are subject to considerable coastal erosion and at times parts of the beach can be cordoned off. The Beachcomber Café on the cliff top is one of the most popular cafés in the region. Plenty of parking in car parks along the cliff top as well as on-road parking.
Super walk, nice and easy and great place for a meal or tea and cake by the car park.
April 2019
A pleasant walk along the cliff top and along the beach. There was less cliff than last time we went to the New Forest.
June 2023