Thousands of couples around the world ensure a lasting love by locking a padlock to a tree and throwing away the keys. 

Now Hampshire couples will be able to do the same at the Love Lock Tree in Beaulieu. 

The steel and copper bonsai tree sculpture which is set in the Victorian flower garden at the Palace House will be open to the public from Valentine’s Day. 

Couples can take their engraved padlock and key to the garden and lock it to the tree as a symbol of their love.

The sculpture was commissioned by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu’s youngest son Jonathan and his wife Nathalie Montagu Daoust as a symbol of their love two years ago. 

The couple got married in October 2014 at the family’ s ancestral home in the New Forest and locked their padlocks as a reminder of the bond made in the marriage ceremony.

Their guests were invited to do the same and the couple has now decided to give the same chance to all the lovers who want to make the Palace House a special place. 

Nathalie said: “We loved the idea of having our own Love Lock Tree at Beaulieu and would like it to become a special place for other couples too.

"Tree sculptures that we have seen elsewhere look so much happier once they have been filled up with padlocks in all colours of the rainbow. So we decided that Valentine’s Day would be a good time to mark the opening of our Love Lock Tree to other couples.”

Couples who would like to make romantic memories by locking padlocks at the Love Lock Tree will have to enter the Beuilieu attraction, which includes the National Motor Museum, the World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the 13th century Beaulieu Abbey and grounds and Palace House, home to the Montagu family since 1538.

The attraction is open from 10.00am until 5.00pm and lovers can either bring their own engraved traditional square padlocks or buy one from the shop on site.