New Milton

New Milton, a busy town of nearly 25,000 residents, is situated on the coast in the south-west corner of Hampshire, just outside the southern boundary of the New Forest National Park.

The town’s name comes from ‘mil’ (meaning in the middle) and ‘ton’ (meaning enclosed farm). Before the arrival of the railway in 1888, Milton parish was a quiet backwater used for farming, hunting and fishing. It then split into ‘old’ and ‘new’ as the land around the station was developed.

Look out for New Milton’s best-known landmark, the Water Tower, which was built around 1900 and is a Listed Building.

The town centre features a number of shops and cafes, as well as the country’s oldest independent department store, Smith Bradbeer. A market is held in the town every Wednesday. Other facilities in New Milton include a swimming pool and sports centre. A varied programme of exhibitions, films and live music is on offer at the Forest Arts Centre.