Hampshire

At the centre of the south coast and at the heart of English history, Hampshire boasts some of the oldest ports and one of the oldest capitals in the country. It also contains one of the oldest hunting grounds, paradoxically called the New Forest.

Winchester, Hampshire's administrative centre, was once the capital of the Saxon kingdom of Wessex; a statue of King Alfred 'guards' the city at the bottom of the High Street while in the great hall of the former royal castle hangs legendary King Arthur's Round Table. Winchester's fine cathedral is an excellent example of Norman and Gothic architecture.

Moving to the coast, Portsmouth and Southampton are thriving cities. Both had Roman ports and now boast large yachting marinas and impressive quayside developments with a wealth of leisure and shopping facilities. Portsmouth's dockyard is home to Nelson's flagship "The Victory" and Henry VIII's flagship, "The Mary Rose".

The New Forest, given special protection by William The Conqueror over 900 years ago, covers an area of 145 square miles and is a place of legendary beauty where free roaming ponies, pigs and cattle benefit from the ancient right of common grazing, which has been handed down over centuries. The New Forest is the perfect place to relax and unwind, ideal for walking, riding and cycling. Visitor attractions include the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu, Buckler's Hard where ships for Nelson's Fleet were built, the world famous Exbury Gardens and the attractive yachting town of Lymington with ferries to the Isle of Wight.

Hampshire also encompasses broad acres of rich farming landscape and pleasant country towns and villages, Alton, Arlesford, Stockbridge, and Petersfield to single out a few. Some are associated with famous writers - Chawton for Jane Austen, Selborne for Gilbert White, the Meon and Itchen valleys for Isaac Walton. The River Test provides some of the best chalk stream fly fishing in the country and the Avon, excellent coarse fishing.

Select a location: A Alton Andover B Basingstoke Beaulieu Brockenhurst E Eastleigh Exbury F Fordingbridge H Hambledon K Keyhaven L Lymington Lyndhurst P Petersfield Portsmouth R Ringwood Romsey S Selborne Southampton Stockbridge W Whitchurch Winchester	New Forest ponies
	View to Hurst Castle, nr Keyhaven
	Exbury Gardens
	The River Avon
	Winchester Cathedral

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