The displays at St. Barbe Museum tell the story of Lymington and the New Forest coastal area, which includes New Milton, Barton-on-Sea and the parishes of Milford-on-Sea, Hordle, Sway and Boldre.
 The Timeline Gallery takes you on a journey back in time from the present to prehistory. Packed with objects reflecting everyday life in the area, the Timeline also charts the national and international events and major local happenings that have shaped our communities across the centuries.
The Main Museum Displays look at the people, activities and industries that have flourished along the New Forest coast.
Sea to Land shows how the world-famous fossils of the Barton cliffs revealed that this area was once covered by a sub-tropical sea and was home to sharks, whales and alligators.
Sea Fishing looks at how local people have harvested the waters of the Solent and the Channel and how the changing environment has affected fishing methods.
Sailing on the Solent tells the story of traditional boat building and yachting in the area and includes an original Lymington Scow.
 Boat Building looks at the famous boat builders past and present, including Thomas Inman who built the yachts Alarm and Arrow for Joseph Weld, Dan Bran designer of the Lymington Pram and the Berthon Boat Company who have provided a full-size pilot boat wheelhouse complete with lights, radar and wheel.
Marsh and Mud features a gun punt used for wild-fowling in the shallow creeks of the Solent and looks at how the local salt marshes changed from a sportsman's playground to a nature reserve.
Bathing Beauties takes us down to the beach to see how our bathing habits changed from the health fad of sea water baths in the 18th century to the modesty of the Victorian period and on to the beach huts and sun bathers of the 20th century.
 Salt Making investigates one of the town's most important industries of the past and explains how Lymington salt crystals were evaporated from sea water and exported all over the world up until the 1850s.
Smuggling reveals the murky world of one of the most lucrative and widespread 'industries' of the 18th century. High taxes meant that all kinds of goods were smuggled along the Solent coast. The smugglers were highly organised and could be ruthlessly brutal in protecting their interests.
Road and Rail shows how roads and then the railways opened up the
New Forest to visitors and also tells the story of Lymington's branch line, one of the last still surviving in the country today.
 A Tale of Two Towns contrasts the development of the towns of Lymington and New Milton. Lymington was given its charter in around 1200 and became a thriving market town and port for the south of the New Forest; while Milton remained a small village until the arrival of the railway in 1888 when the focus moved north and the 'New' was added in 1897.
Shops and Traders tells the story of Lymington's market and the development of the High Street into one of the Forest's most important shopping centres.
Wellworthy was the town's major employer in the 20th century. The company made engine components and was known particularly for its pistons and piston rings. At its peak, during the Second World War, Wellworthy employed over 4,000 people.
 War Efforts shows how the Solent coast has long been bound up with the country's defence, from Henry VIII's fort at Hurst Castle to the French royalist troops stationed at Lymington after the revolution and on to the area's role in the build up to D-Day in 1944.
At Home recreates a farm house kitchen and scullery from the 1930s featuring a host of domestic items dating back to the Victorian period.
Field and Forest ends the tour of the area looking at the coastal area's relationship with the New Forest and the importance of farming to the local economy. |
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