Exhibitions
Free Exhibition of the Buckler’s Hard Archaeological Dig
The Buckler’s Hard Shipyard trust has opened a free exhibition at the historic shipbuilding village of Buckler’s Hard telling the story and showing the finds of this summer’s archaeological dig of the largest slipway as seen on BBC2’s Digging for Britain Series 13, Episode 3. You can view this on BBC Iplayer and at the exhibition.
This free exhibition is open every day 10am – 4pm in the Shipwrights Gallery until 19th April , the building at the top of the riverside slipways.
Beautiful Places – from Beaulieu to Buckler’s Hard – the Artists view. 23rd April – 10th May 2026
Free exhibition of two renowned artists, Nick Botting and Paula Mitchell who have spent the past year painting scenes around the local area.
Nick Botting
Nick Botting has an instinctive ability to capture in paint the atmosphere of his subject: Direct experience and careful observation are important themes throughout his work. He makes a point of painting directly from the subject rather than depending on references, for this establishes a spontaneity and sense of genuine experience that is often lost in the studio.
He said of his time around Beaulieu “It’s rare to find a place where you can be looking at the most beautiful view and then be able to turn and see another, just as fine, behind you. There is a sense of vast space here, and with that comes a sense of openness and freedom. It is land that’s unchanged, a land of the sea and river, oak trees , gorse and ponies that have all been here for millennia.
I found myself acutely aware of the seasons, of the tide, the wind and sun. I think because it is so open and exposed to the elements you are aware of the qualities of the day’s weather so much more than you are in a more protected environment. A calm, still day here feels like a jewel, and like a reward for embracing the weather in all its wildness.
There’s something exciting for a painter when their subject is so constantly changing – the tide coming and going, the boats moving with it, the sun endlessly playing games with the colours of the trees and river and houses and rooftops. I like trying to identify what it is that makes a particular mood in a day and picking out those qualities as precisely as I can.”
Paula Mitchell ARSMA
Paula Mitchell ARSMA is a multi-award-winning artist with the Federation of British Artists and Hampshire born. For many years, she has had the pleasure of calling our wonderful county home.
As a professional painter, Paula is known for her plein air oil paintings which capture the landscape and coastlines of the New Forest and Hampshire.
The upcoming ‘Beautiful Places’ exhibition includes a variety of Paula’s original oil paintings, all of which originated from her work as a ‘en plein air’ painter. Paula’s paintings always begin outdoors involving careful observation to capture the light and atmosphere of the scene in front of her.
Paula’s work has gained selection for the annual exhibitions of the Royal Society of Marine Artists, Society of Women Artists, Royal Institute of Oil Painters and the Royal Society of British Artists.
In 2019, Paula was a featured artist in the 2019 series of Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year. In 2021 the Royal Society of British Artists presented Paula with two society awards for her work ‘Solent Sparkle’. These awards enabled Paula to enter and gain subsequent selection for the Winners: Award Winners 2020-2022 exhibition at Mall Galleries.
In 2025 Paula Mitchell was elected a member of the Wapping Group of Artists and later the same year, was proud to be elected an Associate Member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists.
Paula said “My approach to this project was to explore the New Forest areas of Beaulieu and Bucklers Hard with an entirely open mind and with fresh artistic eyes; to see places and spaces in a way which perhaps had not been noticed before but captured my attention as a painter.
My exploration has involved wonderful days of walking the footpaths of this beautiful area of Hampshire, sketching as I go along and painting a scene ‘en plein air’ when I was inspired to capture the light and life around me.
My inspirations, visual findings and interpretations form the series of paintings you see at the ‘Beautiful Places’ exhibition. My paintings are entirely informed by my work as an outdoor painter and the visual stories I came across as I went along. From quiet inland areas of forest and orchards, to sail boats out in the elements all the way to the wild windswept trees of the New Forest coastline.
I hope you enjoy looking at these paintings as much as I enjoyed creating them”
Beaulieu River at War 22nd May – 1st October
This free exhibition will be exploring the impact of the Second World War on the Beaulieu River and Estate.
Before the war, the Beaulieu River was a quiet, working waterway. But once it was requisitioned for naval use, it became part of a much bigger story, one that played out on hidden river banks, a temporary airfield, and local properties. Suddenly the area witnessed an extraordinary increase in activity, with craft moving in and out of the river, shore facilities adapted, and the estate drawn into the urgent demands of wartime Britain.
The threat of invasion also reshaped local life. Beaulieu village itself was prepared as part of the wider defensive landscape, with measures designed to slow, funnel, and disrupt any enemy advance. As the war progressed and preparations for D-Day gathered pace, the estate took on new roles. Training intensified, secrecy tightened, and the river became a setting for experiments and trials linked to the coming assault on occupied Europe. Elements connected to the Mulberry Harbour story were constructed locally, while Buckler’s Hard’s historic shipyard pivoted to wartime production, turning its skills to the building of vital naval vessels.
The exhibition is curated by Marc Heighway and Mary Montagu-Scott
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