Richard West, and they used Newlands as one of their residences. Their son, born in 1835, bore the name of William Cornwallis-West. He inherited Newlands in 1886, and attempted to convert Milford into a premier seaside resort, changing the name of the village to Milford-on-Sea. His plans included the construction of a pier, railway station, public baths, health spa, and golf course. The scheme failed primarily due to a lack of funds and market interest, but it gave Milford a layout and ordered development that lasted well into the 20th century. William's son George Cornwallis-West inherited Newlands in 1917 and, amid bankruptcy proceedings, sold it three years later. Modern times As recently as 1800 the parish of Milford was entirely inland, being separated from the sea by a narrow strip of coast-line which was an extension eastwards of Hordle parish. Coastal erosion, as well as the growth of the village to the south and west, meant that by 1900 Milford bordered the sea. Milford was part of a combined Milford and Pennington Parish Council after 1894, and then became a separate Milford Parish Council when Pennington was separated from it in 1911. However, in 1932 Milford was absorbed into an enlarged Lymington Borough, only re-emerging as a separate parish in 1974. With the advent of increasing car ownership, especially after the Second World War, the village expanded rapidly as a resort and as a place in which to retire. Blocks of flats were constructed along the clifftop in the 1960s and '70s, and additional housing was built inland. Geography From most of the coast on a clear night, the conurbation of Christchurch, Bournemouth and Poole is visible from the coastal road and adjoining promenade and the brighter stars; in daytime the view extends in most weather conditions to the white cliffs and further part of the headland beyond of the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in Dorset. At the closer level Milford is on a broad sub-bay (Christchurch Bay), ended by the Bournemouth Bay headland and entrance to the harbour of Christchurch, which thus juts out little from this vantage point, Hengistbury Head, traversed by a regular foot ferry in most seasons. To the east in the parish, less than a mile from the nucleated village centre, is Keyhaven which has a boatyard and half of the Lymington-Keyhaven nature reserve (or Marshes): a raised sea wall path around migratory bird