Originally Bath and King's Saltern Roads were lanes passing along the edge of the river or tidal marsh. The edge of the river has since receded and been formalised with a hard edge, protecting against erosion and allowing land to be reclaimed.
This old waterside route is lined with buildings which are largely of a mid 19th century period or earlier. It is probable that both the humbler and the more sophisticated earlier riverside cottages were occupied by people who had a connection through employment with the river or sea. This is certainly the case in the group of coastguard buildings which would have been located as near as possible to the waters they had to patrol. New Forest District Council