Inland Hampshire Accommodation

King Alfred surveys Winchester's historic centre
Jane Austen's House in Chawton
The magnificent Winchester Cathedral dominates the city
Plenty of shopping at Basingstoke and Winchester
Hampshire's market towns are excellent for regular local farmers markets
Take the Watercress Line railway through Hampshire's countryside
Don't miss Hampshire's beautiful countryisde - well worth a stroll
Petersfield's music and food festivals has something for everyone
Traditional thatched cottages are dotted around Hampshire's country towns and villages
Military history is strong in Aldershot and Winchester

Winchester Aldershot Military Museums Farnborough Air Show Jane Austen House

Away from the coast Hampshire is covered in some of the country's most beautiful countryside. Over to the east the South Downs stretch into Hanmpshire where rolling chalk downland contrasts with the rich hanger woodlands. The towns and villages often stem from historic market towns that are rich in listed buildings such as Winchester, Stockbridge and Petersfield. Some have modernised and kept up with the times and are now main shopping and business centres like Basingstoke and Andover.

There is plenty to see and do with military museums at Winchester, Aldershot and near Andover. Every two years Farnborough hosts the International Air Show drawing in thousands from all over the world to see the flying and aerobatic displays. It's this part of Hampshire that Jane Austen loved so much and where she wrote her best work in Steventon and Chawton near Alton. For exploring the countryside you can find a whole network of footpaths and cycle ways or take a leisurely steam train ride on the Watercress Line.

Featured Hampshire Accommodation

Little Mead B&B - Winchester

4 star bed & breakfast near Winchester with single & twin guest rooms. Cyclists & walkers welcome, WIFI onsite, family friendly, organic breakfast.

£35 to £50 Per person B&B (2 sharing)

Winchester Tourist Information Visitor Guide Things To Do Hampshire

Winchester is the county town for Hampshire. It's also one of the most historic with many of its medieval buildings still intact. As you stroll around you'll still see plenty of medieval timber framed buildings and Georgian fronted houses. Winchester Cathedral and Winchester College are fantastic examples of medieval and Gothic architecture.

Winchester is a beautiful place to wander around. It's easy to stroll around the streets and attractions with enough time for a quick coffee in one of the many cafes. The main shopping centre is also full of traditional buildings and is pedestrianised meaning you can take your time to browse the great range of high street and independent shops.

Andover Tourist Guide Shopping Hampshire

Andover lies in the Test Valley in the north west of Hampshire. It's a largely rural area with Andover being the main centre for shopping and transport connections. Being situated on the River Anton there are pleasant riverside walks alongside the former watermills. Two town trails take you around the town's historic sights as well as modern interpretations such as the Andover Time Ring mosaics that mark key stages in the town's history and development.

Andover is one of the main shopping centres in this part of Hampshire and also has a good choice of pubs, clubs, parks, lakes, woods and nature reserves.

Near Andover is a wealth of countryside to explore. The North Wessex Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and its chalk downlands stretch in to the north of Hampshire around Andover. Flowing down the west of the county is the River Test - world renowned for its trout fishing in the clear waters of the chalk river. You can pick up part of the Test Way walking route which passes through the picturesque villages in this part of Hampshire all the way down to the edges of the New Forest and to Southampton Water in the south.

To the west of Andover you can find out about how silk is woven into luxurious fabrics at Whitchurch Silk Mill.

Stockbridge Tourist Guide Test Valley Danebury Hill Fort Hampshire

Stockbridge is a small but well visited town in the heart of the Test Valley. It's a good stop off if you're exploring the area by foot or cycle. If you want to visit one of Hampshire's traditional market towns then Stockbridge has a range of gift, craft and antique shops for you to browse and pubs and tearooms to whet your whistle.

Around Stockbridge are several places of interest including the Danebury Hill Fort, one of Hampshire's earliest settlements. If you want to find out more about military history try The Museum of Army Flying where you can see how the army used flying machines over the years. There's certainly plenty to do in the area other than admire the beautiful countryside around the town.

Basingstoke Tourist Guide Shopping Theatres The Vyne Silchester Roman City Hampshire

Basingstoke, in the north east of Hampshire, has grown into a large town offering fantastic shopping and entertainment. There are over 100 shops in the Festival Place shopping centre and there are more in the streets around it and at The Mall across the other side of the town. For family entertainment visit the Leisure Park where you'll find the Milestone living history museum as well as Aqualand and a well equipped leisure centre.

For evening entertainment there are plenty of events at either The Anvil concert hall or The Haymarket Theatre. Choose from a whole host of drama, dance, live music and comedy performance at these venues. There are also cinemas at the Festival Place and in Basingstoke and of course pubs and clubs.

The countryside around Basingstoke harbours some grand historical sites well worth a visit. The Vyne is a Tudor country mansion managed by the National Trust. It was formerly a private house that has been added to over the centuries leaving an interesting mix of decorative styles. The estate is huge and you're free to stroll around them and the woodlands.

For more ancient history just a bit further north is Silchester and the Roman City. Here you can still see some of the best preserved Roman defence walls in the country. It was once an important Roman city but much of that evidence is underground or still being excavated.

Farnborough Air Show Tourist Guide Saint Michael's Abbey Hampshire

Farnborough is internationally renowned for the Farnborough Air Show which is held every two years at the Farnborough Airfield. In fact, Farnborough was the location of the first British powered flight by American Samuel Franklin Cody. You can find out more about this flamboyant character at the Aldershot Military Museum. The highlight of the Farnborough Air Show is the aerobatic and flying displays of historic and modern aircraft as well as the stunning displays by the Red Arrows.

Farnborough is mostly associated with aviation history which has underpinned the local economy and led to many changes to the town over the years. One of the most historic places to visit in the town is St Michael's Abbey, a retreat for Benedictine monks and founded by the wife, Empress Eugenie, of the French Emperor Napoleon III.

Aldershot Military Museum Tourist Guide Olympics 2012 Hampshire UK

Aldershot is known the world over for its military connections being home to army base camps since the mid nineteenth century. Aldershot's visitor attractions are therefore inevitably linked to military history. The Aldershot Military Museum traces the military history of the Aldershot, Farnborough and Cove areas as well as showing its collection of field guns and military vehicles.

The big event of the year is the Aldershot Army Show, a military tattoo that stems from displays of military force for Queen Victoria on her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. In fact this was the main military spectacle in Britain before the Edinburgh Tattoo was established.

Petersfield Tourist Guide South Downs Walks Hampshire

Petersfield is a main centre in East Hampshire. It's a lively town with a programme of events throughout the year that attract thousands of visitors. The Petersfield Festivities, the Food Festival and Music Festival are three of the key events and provide a showcase for local producers and talent. There are regular markets in the town as well as a good choice of high street chains and independent shops, cafes and restaurants.

The countryside around Petersfield is fantastic for exploring on foot, cycle or horseback. The East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Beauty lies around the town and the South Downs stretch across the Sussex border into this area. Here you'll see chalk downlands and fantastically rich ancient broadleaved woodlands - excellent for getting away from it all. This area is a wildlife haven with several nationally important nature reserves.

Alton Tourist Guide Jane Austen Birthplace House Chawton

Alton is set on the northern side of the East Hampshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). It's a pretty little Georgian market town around which are several visitor attractions including The Watercress Line steam railway, Jane Austen's House in Chawton to the south, and Gilbert White's House Museum in Selborne.

The countryside around Alton is well worth exploring with its beautiful chalk escarpments covered in luxuriant woodlands. The Watercress Line is a traditional railway where steam engine power their way through the East Hampshire countryside. One of the main stations is in Alton and you can visit the traditionally restored platform to view the engines or set off for excellent views of Hampshire from the comfort of your own carriage.

For Jane Austen fans you can follow a trail around Hampshire to all the places she lived and visited or used as inspiration in her novels. Her heart was always in the Hampshire countryside and she wrote her best work while living at either Steventon or Chawton near Alton.

The latter period of Jane's life was spent at Chawton living with her mother and sister for eighteen years. Jane and Cassandra used to take a daily walk to Alton where they would shop and visit their brother who ran a bank and where the post was delivered. The villages of Alton and Chawton have their own Jane Austen trails (available to download from the Jane Austen Alton weblink right). These take you around the everyday places that Jane would have seen or visited such as friends and relatives' houses, doctor's or banks. Of course, the main attraction in Chawton is the Jane Austen House Museum.

Waterlooville Tourist Guide Havant Hampshire

Waterlooville is an accommodation centre just north of Portsmouth. It an historic town with links to the Battle of Waterloo hence it's name. Weekly markets offer a good choice of local produce and crafts as do the small and independent shops in the town.

Waterlooville is in the Havant District in South Hampshire. Using Waterlooville as a base you can explore the wildlife and fortifications of Portsdown Hill or the fantastic beaches and seaside family attractions on Hayling Island or the picturesque harbour town of Emsworth.

Romsey Tourist Guide River Test Broadlands Mottisfont Abbey Hampshire

Romsey lies in the heart of the Hampshire countryside just eight miles from Southampton and eleven from Winchester. It is an ancient market town where the Norman Abbey dominates the medieval streets in the historic centre.

Near the town are two stately homes. Broadlands just outside the town has been the home to Lord Palmerston, famed for passing the bill to build forts around Portsmouth Harbour, and Lord Louis Mountbatten. Five miles north west of Romsey is Mottisfont Abbey whose gardens are renowned for their national collections of old fashioned roses.