October half-term offers the last chance to step on board the Beaulieu River Cruise to explore the spot which recently featured in Channel 4’s The UK’s National Parks with Caroline Quentin.

Follow her paddle along the Beaulieu River from Buckler's Hard to spot returning wintering waders and wildfowl – and maybe even see a seal.

River cruises run daily until October 29 and are the perfect way to get close to nature and explore the unspoilt New Forest haven which is home to more than 200 species of birdlife.

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This year, the maritime village of Buckler’s Hard remains open for free visits throughout the autumn and winter – offering the perfect destination for riverside strolls.

Bournemouth Echo: Buckler's Hard Village from the river

Free access to the village includes entry to the original Shipwright’s Cottage and charming St Mary’s Chapel, with a smugglers’ cellar under the altar, as well as the HMS Agamemnon – Navigating the Legend exhibition about nations working together to preserve the world’s only surviving wreck of a ship built at Buckler’s Hard.