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See also Isle of Wight
Southampton, Winchester, and Portsmouth are Hampshire’s major urban areas but the county is known for the New Forest National Park and its scenic villages. The forest received its name from William the Conqueror in 1070 when he chose it for a royal hunting domain.
 For a fictionalized based-on-fact story Edward Rutherfurd’s book, ‘The New Forest’ gives an excellent picture of the place through the centuries. It tells the story of William II (William Rufus) who was killed either on purpose or by accident in the forest. The ‘Rufus Stone’ commemorates this but does not mark the actual spot where it happened.
 Visit Lyndhurst first and stop in at the New Forest Visitor Centre. Here is an exhibition on the history and geography of the forest with maps of cycling and walking trails. Much of the forest is open heathland. The villages are busy during tourist season. Ponies and cattle still roam unfenced on the common lands. Buckler’s Hard, in the forest, is a former shipbuilding area. There are two rows of brick buildings and a museum at the spot.
 Beaulieu, in the southern forest, is a popular family attraction. It was once an abbey, but after Henry VIII dissolved the monasteries, it was acquired by the Montagu family in 1538. There is a display of medieval monastery life in one of the buildings. The former gatehouse is a family home and can be visited. It is said the ghosts of monks still roam the rooms. The monk’s refectory is now the parish church. Beaulieu is also home to the National Motor Museum, telling the story of motoring from 1894 to today. Here over 250 vehicles are displayed along with TV and AV presentations.
Romsey is an attractive town with Georgian houses and an abbey church of 1100 with Saxon carvings. King John’s House and Heritage centre in the town is a collection of three historic buildings on the same site. One is a 14th century home, a Tudor cottage is a tearoom, and the Victorian Heritage Centre has been redone as a formal parlour. There are period gardens and exhibitions.
 Nearby Broadlands is a Palladian mansion and the former home of Lord Mountbatten. It was once the residence of Lord Palmerston, Victorian Prime Minister and friend of Queen Victoria. An exhibition and AV presentation on Mountbatten’s life is presented.
 Another historic home, The Vyne, was built for Henry VIII’s Lord Chamberlain. There’s a Tudor chapel, wood panelling, and furniture to view. There are gardens, lakes, and woodland walks.
 A 12th century former abbey, Montissfort Abbey and Garden, is home to the national collection of roses. In the grounds, through which the river Test runs, is a famous old plane tree. The village, owned by the National Trust, is a small group of cottages. The church, St Andrews, is grade 1 listed and dates from the 12th century.
 Wherwell, on the river Test, is a beautiful small village with thatched cottages. A Victorian church, St Peter and Holy Cross, was built on the site of a former medieval abbey. Stockbridge is a town with elegant buildings, antique shops, and a National Trust marsh. Middle and Nether Wallop are scenic river villages, with Nether Wallop being the star. It’s where Miss Marple was filmed. There are 11th century wall paintings in the church. Middle Wallop offers a museum.
 The town of Whitchurch, northeast of Andover in the Test river area has a church with a rare Saxon tombstone and a silk mill that has produced fabric since 1825. The working museum comes complete with a costume exhibition and shop.
 Jane Austen followers will want to visit Chawton and tour the 17th century house where she worked on her six novels. It is full of her memorabilia.
 The town of Alresford can show off its elegant Broad Street with its Georgian houses, medieval Great Weir and two old mills. Alton is an attractive town with a 15th century church, St Lawrence.
 Bishop's Waltham has a small and very attractive town centre. It’s the location of the ruined Bishop Waltham Palace. There’s an interesting exhibition on the former palace in the farmhouse built at a later date on the site. The little village of Selborne, north of Petersfield, is full of character with an 1180 church, yew tree, and interesting houses and cottages.
 Hampshire’s Meon Valley is one of the county’s most attractive with its rolling hills and farmland. Drive on the minor roads to get its full flavour. East Meon is a tiny and attractive village with a Norman church on the hill, a pub, and one store/postoffice. Warnford also has a church from the same time and the ruins of a 13th century building. Other villages to check out are Exton, Corhampton, Meonstoke, and Droxford.
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway won a garden of the year award. There’s a 200-acre woodland with rhododendrons, azaleas, and camellias. A daffodil meadow, rose garden, rock garden, and borders complete the picture. Another garden, Hinton Ampner, is a 20th century one with a mix of formal and informal features. In the house is a collection of English furniture and Italian paintings. Houghton Lodge Garden has on view its greenhouses, herb garden, walled garden, topiary, and Grade II landscaped grounds.
 The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens are home to 40,000 plants from the world’s temperate regions. The 180 acres have both formal and informal plantings. There are 11 national plant collections and the largest winter garden in Europe. Allow a full day to take it all in.
 Southampton is a port and naval centre and a jumping off place for the Isle of Wight. The Medieval Merchant’s House shows off the life of a monied merchant in the 13th century. In Portsmouth is the Royal Naval Museum at the dockyard. Included as part of the museum are the historic vessels Nelson’s flagship and the Mary Rose.
 Winchester has a number of historic buildings, the most famous of which is its Gothic cathedral. The cathedral has been used for royal functions and is the final resting place for a number of bishops, Saxons kings, and Jane Austen.
 Wolvesey Castle, dating from William the Conqueror’s time, has mostly disappeared thanks to the civil war. The extensive ruins were once the home of the bishops of Winchester. 14th century Winchester College offers guided tours of its chapel, cloisters, and other medieval area.
Hampshire Attractions
For opening times and full details of attractions see the Attractions section of our website.
Avington Park
Winchester
Tel. 0 1962 779 260
Web: Avington Park
Beaulieu
Beaulieu, New Forest
Tel. 0 1590 612 345
Web: Beaulieu
Bishop’s Waltham Moors Nature Reserve
Bishop’s Waltham, Hampshire
Tel. 0 1703 456 484
Bishop’s Waltham Palace (EH)
Bishop’s Waltham
Tel. 0 1489 892 460
Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary
Short distance from Bolderwood car park
Tel. NA
Botley Wood Nature Reserve
Between Wickham and Titchfield
Tel. 0 1329 662 145
Breamore House and Countryside Museum
near Fordingbridge
Tel. 0 1725 512 858
Broadlands
Romsey, on A3090 Romsey by-pass
Tel. 0 1794 505 010
For photos and more information see our article Broadlands
Bucklers Hard
Beaulieu
Tel. 0 1590 616 203
Web: Bucklers Hard
Bursledon Windmill
Bursledon, signed from Jct 8 of M17
Tel. 0 1703 404 999
Calshot Castle
Two miles south-east of Fawley, off the B3053
Tel. 0 2380 892 023
Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway
New Forest, near Beaulieu (signposted)
Tel. 0 2380 891 203
Gilbert White House and Oates Museum
The Wakes, High St, Selborne, Hampshire
Tel. 0 1420 511 275
Hinton Ampner Garden and house (NT)
Bramdean, Alresford
Off the A272, one mile west of Bramdean village, eight miles south-east of Winchester
Tel. 0 1962 771 305
Hollycombe Steam Collection
Iron Hill, Midhurst Rd, Liphook
2 miles from A3,between Guildford and Petersfield
Tel: 0 1428 724 900
Houghton Lodge Garden (HHA)
Houghton, on minor road 1.5 miles south of Stockbridge (A30)
Tel. 0 1264 810 502
Web: Houghton Lodge Garden
Intech Science Centre and Planetarium
Telegraph Way, Morn Hill, Winchester
Tel. 0 1962 863 791
Jane Austen Home
Chawford
Tel. 0 1420 83262
Liberty’s Owl Raptor & Reptile Centre
Crow Lane, Ringwood
Tel. 0 1425 476487
Web: Liberty Owl, Raptor, and Reptile Centre
Lymington–Keyhaven RSPB Nature Reserve
Between the mouth of Lymington River and village of Keyhaven
Tel. NA
Manor Farm Country Park
Access from M27, signed from jct 8
Tel. 0 1489 787 055
Medieval Merchant’s House (EH)
58 French St, Southampton
Tel. 0 2380 221 503
Mottisfont Abbey and Garden (NT)
Four miles north of Romsey, signed off A3057
Tel. 0 1794 340 757 or 01794 341 220 (infoline)
New Forest Centre
Lyndhurst, New Forest
Tel. 023 8028 3444
Web: New Forest Centre
New Forest Reptile Centre
Two miles south-west of Lyndhurst off the A35
Tel. 023 8028 3141 (Southern Forestry)
New Forest Wildlife Park
Deerleap Lane, Longdown, near Ashurst
Tel. 023 8029 2408
Web: New Forest Wildlife Park
Petersfield Museum
Old Magistrates’ Courthouse, St Peter’s Rd, Petersfield
Tel. 0 1730 262 601
Physic Garden
16 The High Street, Petersfield
Tel. 0 1730 269 060
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Victory Gate, HM Naval Base Portsmouth Habour Portsmouth
Tel. 023 9283 9766
Queen Elizabeth Country Park
Gravel Hill, Horndean, PO8 0QE
Tel. 0 239 259 5040
Rockbourne Roman Villa
Rockbourne, Fordingbridge
Tel. 0845 603 5635
Royal Naval Museum
Victory Gate, HM Naval Base
Historic Dockyard, Portsmouth
Tel. 0 23 9283 9766 (general enquiries); 0 23 9286 1512 (information line)
Web: Royal Naval Museum and Historic Dockyard
Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
Bashley Cross Roads, New Milton, Hampshire
Tel. 0 1425 620 777
Web: Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Jermyns Lane, Ampfield, Romsey
Tel. 0 1794 368 787
For full details and photos of the garden see our article Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Web: Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Spinnaker Tower
Portsmouth
Tel: 0 2392 857 520
Web: Spinnaker Tower
Staunton Country Park
Just north of Havant, between A3 and B2149
Access from Middle Park Way, off B2149, Hampshire
Tel. 0 1705 453 405
Vyne, The (NT)
Sherborne St John, Basingstoke
Tel. 01256 881337
Winchester Cathedral
Tel. 0 1962 857 200
Web: Winchester Cathedral
Winchester College
Tel. 0 1962 621 209
Wolvesey Castle (Old Bishop’s Palace) (EH)
College St, Winchester, ¼ mile se of the Winchester cathedral, next to bishop’s palace
Tel. 0 1962 854 766
Hampshire Tourist Information Centres
Aldershot
39 High Street, Aldershot
Tel. 0 1252 320 968
Alton
7 Cross and Pillory Lane, Alton
Tel. 0 1420 88448
Andover
Town Mill House, Bridge Street, Andover
Tel. 0 1264 324 320
Basingstoke
Willis Museum, "Old Town Hall, Market Place"
Basingstoke
Tel. 0 1256 817 618
Fareham
Westbury Manor, West St, Fareham
Tel. 0 1329 221 342
Fleet
The Harlington Centre, 236 Fleet Road, Fleet
Tel. 0 1252 811 151
Fordingbridge
Kings Yard, Salisbury Street, Fordingbridge
Tel. 0 1425 654 560
Gosport
Bus Station Complex
South Street, Gosport
Tel. 023 9252 2944
Havant
1 Park Road South, Havant
Tel. 023 9248 0024
Hayling Island
Beachlands, Seafront, Hayling Island
Tel. 023 9246 7111
Lymington
St Barbe Museum & Visitor Centre
New Street, Lymington
Tel. 0 1590 689 000
Lyndhurst & New Forest
New Forest Museum & Visitor Centre
Main Car Park, Lyndhurst
Tel. 023 8028 2269
Petersfield
County Library, 27 The Square,
Petersfield
Tel. 0 1730 268 829
Portsmouth (Southsea)
Clarence Esplanade
Southsea, Portsmouth
Tel. 023 9282 6722
Portsmouth
Continental Ferry Port TIC
Terminal Building, Portsmouth
Tel. 023 9283 8635
Portsmouth
The Hard, Portsmouth
Tel. 023 9282 6722
Ringwood
The Furlong, Ringwood
Tel. 0 1425 470 896
Romsey
13 Church Street, Romsey
Tel. 0 1794 512 987
Rownhams
M27 Services (Westbound), Southampton
Tel. 023 8073 0345
Southampton
9 Civic Centre Road, Southampton
Tel. 023 8083 3333
Southampton Airport
Wide Lane, Southampton
Tel. None
Winchester
Guildhall, The Broadway, Winchester
Tel. 0 1962 840 500
Photos by Barbara Ballard and courtesy David Packman at Hampshire Cam
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Some of our Hampshire Articles
Broadlands
Bransgore
Hampshire Wildlife Trust Reserves
Montisfont Abbey
Wolvesey Castle
Hinton Ampner House and Garden
New Forest National Park
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens Photos
Houghton Lodge Gardens
Bishop Waltham Palace
Other England Articles
A Walk Around the New Forest
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