The Best Country Pubs in Hampshire

Tiny, unspoilt, country pub that oozes character.  Tucked away along a country lane leading only to a footpath, it can be difficult to find and is good for walkers.  The 16th century building has two very small bars with a brick inglenook fireplace, old wooden furniture and a hatch from where beer is dispensed! Limited food is served and in mismatched crockery.  The split pea & ham soup is filled to the brim of the dish and is served with a lump of crusty bread and a slab of butter cut of from the pack, often still in the wrapping.  This is a truly rustic pub.

Known locally as the “pub with no name” because of the empty sign bracket that was taken down when the old road was straightened and never put up again, this is traditional rural, unspoilt, country pub with no mod cons just old wooden furniture, log fires and bundles of character.  Obviously popular with those who know where it is, the pub has a good atmosphere and lovely views of the South Downs.  The garden has tables and chairs made from tree stumps, and good pub food.  For your first visit, set out early, it will take time to find!

Pretty country pub arranged over three interconnecting rooms, that were once separate cottages.  The centre room is the bar, with eight beer pumps offering a range of beer including local choices.  Pews, settles, wooden floors, low ceilings, old photographs and candles on tables, all add to the character of this pub. Good pub food comes in the way of bar snacks and specials for main meals.  Pretty garden with flowers and seating.

Pretty 16^th century pub located on the edge of the New Forest, with thatched roof, two huge fireplaces, heavy beams, tiny windows and a rose garden. Country fabrics and wooden furniture fill the interior, with good, traditional food served in the bar and restaurant.

Located about three miles outside Winchester in the pretty rural village of Littleton, the Running Horse provides contemporary bar, restaurant and accommodation in a traditional setting.  The plush bar area is a mixture of wood, leather and wicker, while the restaurant has been awarded 2 AA Rosettes for the quality of its food.  Nine well appointed en-suite rooms located at the rear of the pub, overlooking the garden.  During the summer months visitors can eat and drink in the large garden and terrace, or in on the patio at the front of the pub.