Property Blog

Place on a Page – Lymington, New Forest

Lymington /ˈlɪmɨŋtən/ is a port town on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town has a large tourist industry, based on proximity to the New Forest and the harbour. It is a major yachting centre with three marinas. According to the 2011 census the Lymington urban area had a population of 15,407. If you were to also include the nearby parish of Boldre which includes Walhampton, normally considered part of Lymington, then the population in 2011 was 17,410

Lymington was first settled in the Iron Age fort  known today as Buckland Rings. This fort dates back to around the sixth century BC. Lymington is recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, but it is referred to as ‘Lentune’. In 1200, William de Redvers, Lord of the Manor, created the borough of New Lymington. He gave it its first charter and the right to hold a market. From the Middle Ages until the 19th century, Lymington was renowned for producing salt. Also in the 18th and 19th centuries it was known for possessing a military depot with foreign troops, artillery, and several militia regiments.

In the early 19th century, Lymington had a highly successful shipbuilding industry. One ship called the Alarm, built by Thomas Inman, famously raced the American yacht, America, in 1851. Lymington is also well known for its smuggling history. There have been unproven stories and tales that under High Street there are smugglers’ tunnels that run from the old inns to the town quay. Yet no one has been able to prove these stories thus far.

The population of Lymington as of 2001 was 14,000. The median age is 50 years old and 36 per cent of the town is retired. This has become a very wealthy area with an average house price of about £400,000. Five bedroom properties sell for an average of over £730,000. About two-thirds of the properties here are either detached or semi-detached.

There are six streets in the Lymington area that contain properties worth an average of over £1,000,000, making them the most expensive places to live in SO41. They are Sowley Lane, Snooks Lane, Shirley Holms Road, Lisle Court Road, Monument Laneand Rope Hill. There are a total of 30 streets with average prices of over £750,000 which just shows what a wealthy area this is. Meanwhile there is only one street that claims an average of under £100,000 and it is Union Place. Most of the properties on this street are flats and some even go for as little at £60,000.

There are many leisure amenities in the town, including several parks, a 9-hole golf course, a rowing club, a community centre, a library, St Barbe Museum and Gallery, two swimming pools, a sports centre, a cinema, a skate park, tennis courts and football pitches. One of the two swimming pools is Lymington Open Air Sea Water Baths. Built in 1833, it is the oldest lido in the UK. Other activities in the area include cycling, horse riding, climbing and sailing. Sailing is very big in Lymington and the town has been home to several famous regattas. There are two sailing clubs, The Royal Lymington Yacht Club and The Lymington Town Sailing Club.

The primary schools in Lymington include Hordle CofE Primary School and TipToe Primary School. The secondary school is Priestlands School.

A new hospital was opened in 2007 called Lymington New Forest Hospital. The shopping facilities have grown significantly over the past few years thanks to an influx of tourists and sailing enthusiasts. There has been an increase in the number of chain stores and coffee shop franchises. On Saturdays a popular local market takes place on High Street

Heatmap showing average property prices 2015
Lymington Heat Map

SO41 (Lymington) Average current values (2015)

1 Bedroom properties  £184,200   £136,100   £178,300
2 Bedroom properties  £303,800   £209,300   £195,500
3 Bedroom properties  £389,800   £267,500   £222,200
4 Bedroom properties  £589,000   £454,900   £395,300
5+ Bedroom properties £874,400 £670,400   £678,900