Beaulieu, like Stoney Cross, was a major wartime airfield of the New Forest that saw a large amount of action including Coastal Command. Many anti-submarine operations were flown from Beaulieu, an important role in the airfield’s history.

Beaulieu airfield has a strong link to the very first days of flying in the New Forest – the New Forest Flying Club was established in 1910 on the other side of the Beaulieu-Lymington road adjacent to the village of East Boldre. Although that site was used during WWI, the need for a larger airfield for WWII meant that that site was no longer suitable and so the new one was built across the road.

Today the distinctive ‘A’ layout of Beaulieu airfield is clearly visible from the air, and the very eastern end of E/W (09/27) runway is used by radio control model plane enthusiasts, with the original runway concrete and tarmac still remaining.