Lymington info?

[nickjh]

Hi,

Thinking of heading to Lymington for Sun pm and Monday.. Havng not stayed there before can anyone give me info on where is best place for moorings and what there is to do, i.e bars, restaurants etc

The alternative is go down to Port Solent, what would you recommend?

Regards

Nick

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[Wiggo]

Lymington - much prettier. Two marinas: Berthon and Lymington Yacht Haven. You can also try the Twon Quay or the visitors buoys opposite. Plent to do there.

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[Planty]

Lymington far nicer of the two, have tried Berthon, usual Marina type, easy walk into town, Town quay is lovely, get there early to beat raggies but no electric and if you stay overnight expect to be woken early (like 6.30 - 7.00 am) by the Car Park attendant (looks like, with an old double decker conductor type ticket machine) wanting your berthing fees!

Good restaraunt just up from Quay on right, can't remember name, but has loads of Donald Campbell memorabilia in the window as his daughter used to own it or some such. We found the food excellent and very reasonable.

Ladies shops abound so watch out!! But then again so do swindeleries too!! Paul

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[jfm]

Lymington is beautiful. Park either Town Q or Berthon, as Yacht Haven is further walk from town.

There is restaurant right on the Quay, called the Ship. But it's a beefeater/Charlie Chalk so horrid food but ok for young kids. If you are just with adults or older kids eat at the Kings Head. Walk up the cobbled street away from Quay, it curves left and slopes up, at top of slope by the High Street the KH is on left. Great food, lively, plenty boaters in there. Good idea to book if summer weekend but ok now.

If you walk past the KH, and keep walking straight up the hill, the high street, there's a nice chippy soon on the right and a posh ish bistro place 100yds on left

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Lymington Yacht Haven is a bit of a hike from town but quite a pleasant walk. It has its own restaurant upstairs in the harbourmasters office block but we've found the service to be slow especially when its busy. They often have a Pimms bar going downstairs at the weekend which is pleasant
Berthon is much closer to town. Confusingly they dont seem to answer the VHF if you call Berthon but Lymington Marina or something similar
Both marinas can get full of visitors at the weekend so worthwile phoning ahead to book a space
Otherwise you have the Town Quay which can be a bit of a bunfight when its busy and I think is limited to boats less than 30'. Alternatively. there are some mooring buoys off the Town Quay but these always seem to be full as well
Eating out wise, I agree with jfm, the Ship is shite and only really suitable for shovelling chicken nuggets and chips into kids but it does have a lovely position so maybe go for a pint. There used to be a reasonable restaurant called Preachers half way up the hill on the left hand side which is OK and I think its still there. Otherwise, there is the Bluebird which is just along from the Town Quay towards town on the right hand side. Its a bit pricey but OK when we ate there last. It was owned or maybe still is by Donald Campbell's daughter (Gina?) so there were a few interesting photos about.
Lymington is a pretty town if a bit touristy but still worth a visit. Port Solent is an old landfill tip filled with water with a few themed restaurants and pubs nearby which the yobs and yobbettes of Portsmouth seem to love inhabiting at weekends. The marina is efficient but there is a lock to negotiate which can take hours to get through at busy times so best to time your arrival/departure for freeflow around HW. Port Solent is OK on a foul day for kids because you can always park them in the cinema nearby whilst you park yourself in a bar and while away a few hours observing the local yoof culture

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[tross]

If you turn left out of Berthon along Bath Road you come to the Mayflower Pub - a bit young but is OK food was OK last year. Apart from that, all the rest are on the High Stret or Gosport Road. There are a couple of Pasta places on the High Street ( ASK etc) and a good Indain right at the top of the High Street and a Sushui place along Queens Road from the Indian. Do not go to the Chinese on the Quay. For the best in the area go to the Mill at Gordington - You will require a taxi, smart casual and to book.

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[jon_bailey]

I've eaten in the Mayflower a couple of times and whilst not brilliant I would go back. Also do massive bar-b-ques on summer evenings.

As others say, although yacht marina is some way from town, it is a nice walk back and will help justify pud.



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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Yacht Club?

We ate in the Yacht Club once when we could'nt find any tables available elsewhere and it really wasnt that bad. Quite how we got in without being members of another club, trailing young kids and being stinkies too, I cant remember

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[Wiggo]

Re: Yacht Club?

I seem to remember friends of ours blagging their way in to a YC in Poole for dinner on the strength of being RYA members. Anyone know if this works everywhere?

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[jhr]

Re: Yacht Club?

Probably depends on the Club. In Lymington, the Royal Lymington Yacht Club will only allow entry to members of clubs with reciprocal arrangements (roughly, if you don't have a blue ensign, forget it), whereas Lymington Town YC is a friendly, welcoming place where they will give aid and comfort to all distressed mariners, even us stinkies! I know which one I prefer...............

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[l'escargot]

Be prepared to raft 5 or 6 deep on the town quay - it's not optional.

A good pub for beer and food is the Bosun's Chair round by the railway station, it is just off the beaten track, with a choice of meals in the bar or restaurant.

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[Aardee]

Re: Yacht Club?

Never had a problem getting into a Yacht Club (member of RYA & Twickenham Yacht Club). Having said that, never tried any of the posher ones...

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[Deleted User YDKXO]

Re: Yacht Club?

Must have been the Town YC then because we were certainly mariners in distress. Both our SWMBO's were whining like hell that we hadnt booked a table in a restaurant and our kids were bleating about being starving plus it was raining like hell but the YC came to the rescue with a very acceptable roast beef dinner

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[jhr]

Re: Yacht Club?

Typical boating scenario, then! /forums/images/icons/smile.gif

Yes, almost certainly the Town club.

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[Wiggo]

Re: Yacht Club?

Ah, but you're a member of a YC. I'm just a plebby RYA member.

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[floyd]

Hi

Go to Lymington over Port Solent any day. We always pick up a buoy opposite the town quay. Can't understand the posts about the town quay visitor moorings being full. We must have picked up a buoy over 20 times and my wife reckons that once we had to find somewhere else because there was nowhere to moor. We don't give any thought to turning up early etc. I've got so used to finding a free buoy at Lymington that I never give it a second thought. Don't bother with the actual town quay unless you like rafting up with lots of miserable yachties. Also it gets a bit noisy there because of the local kids gathering in the nearby car park. For these reasons we always pick up a buoy, although over about 30ft you would be too big for the spaces between the buoys.

It may be my imagination, but it looks to me like there are a whole load of new visitor moorings in rows labelled A-E this year. But maybe they've always been there. Anyway, even if you can't get one of the orange mooring buoys opposite the town quay it looks to me like there's enough moorings there for the busiest bank holiday weekend.

One poster did say that you should be prepared to be woken up early. We have found this is true, although more because of the local fishing fleet departing early in the morning than due to the harbour master. Even so this doesn't put us off from visiting many times during the year.



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