Best places to see in Hampshire

The fine medieval Great Hall here is the sole remnant of the castle itself, which was begun in 1067 and was rebuilt by Henry III; and was regarded as King Arthur's Camelot by the Tudors, and it comes complete with King Arthur's round table too.

With two of England's greatest seaports on its coastline, and the ancient royal hunting grounds of the New Forest and Winchester, the capital of Saxon England, lying inland, Hampshire is a county rich in history offering a wide variety of itinerary choices.

Well served by both road and rail the area is easily reached from neighbouring counties and further afield. With its major ferry ports, serving both the continent and the Isle of Wight, it is an ideal location for extending the UK leg of a European tour.

The New Forest remains one of England's natural wonders. Established by William the Conqueror, much of the forest has changed little over many generations. The area abounds with wildlife and a trip through the New Forest will take you through many picturesque towns and villages. There is a vast selection of activities on offer here ranging from angling to pony trekking. Some visitor attractions include stately homes, wildlife centres and museums.

Hampshire remains deep at the heart of Britain's rich maritime heritage. Portsmouth has been the home of the Royal Navy since Tudor times and a visit to the city and its surroundings offers the opportunity to view ships and naval tradition from the past and present.

To the west of the county the towns and villages of the Solent and Southampton Water were once, due
to the abundance of wood from the New Forest, at the centre of the British shipbuilding industry.

Hampshire remains deep at the heart
of Britain's rich maritime heritage. Portsmouth has been the home of the Royal Navy since Tudor times and a visit to the city and its surroundings offers the opportunity to view ships and naval tradition from the past and present.

To the west of the county the towns and villages of the Solent and Southampton Water were once, due to the abundance of wood from the New Forest, at the centre of the British shipbuilding industry.

As you can imagine, Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire has lot's of history, so you'll be able to spend a day or so just wandering around this historic city. For example; The Barracks house museum of Royal Hussars, with real tanks; it also has a museum of Royal Green Jackets, Light Infantry, and Gurkhas. Winchester Cathedral was built for William the Conquerer in 1079, it also includes medieval wall paintings.

The Cathedral also contains a shrine of St. Swithun, and tombs of William Rufus and Jane Austen, the bones of pre-Norman Kings, and of course Canute.

The Pilgrims Hall has one of England's oldest hammerbeam roofs, which was built around the 1290's. In 1382, one of England's oldest public schools was built here, and was called Winchester College of course. The pupils who attend here are known as Wykehamists, apparenty named after the founder, William of Wykeham.

To the south of Winchester is a small village called Fair Oak, just a few miles from the town of Eastleigh. I recall many fond memories (as a child) visiting Fair Oak, and especially looked forward to the steam train journey from London's Waterloo Mainline Station to Eastleigh.

The port of Southampton is rich with seafaring history, and former home to the great passenger liners. The Pilgrim Fathers set sail from here in 1620, and if you can spend an hour or three, it's worth your while to view the memorial Mayflower park and surrounding are.

The Norman city walls and towers of Southampton remain, while the historic buildings house various collections of furniture which are in a restored Merchant's House built in the 13th century. Interestingly, archaeological finds in the 15th century have revieled God's House Tower, which includes domestic bygones and toys in 16th century Tudor House, the house has a secret garden to explore.

The 18th century Maritime Museum and the Wool House has an interesting Titanic display and of course a 22 ft. model of the liner Queen Mary. The Sandringham 'Beachcomber' flying boat is here and is the pride of all at the Hall of Aviation.

Beaulieu
Beaulieu is an attractive village which has red brick Georgian cottages,that are dominated by the Palace House, this was originally the Great Gatehouse of Cistercian Abbey, buit in the 14th century.

The Abbey is now home to Lord Montague and the National Motor Museum which has over 250 historic automobiles and motorcycles on display including a monorail and Cistercian cloisters. Incidentally, I learned that the Parish church was once the communal dining hall for the Abbey here.

Lymington
This is a scenic and very busy port with a yachting centre on the estuary of the Lymington river. This is just one of the ports where you can take the ferry to the Isle of Wight. Great walks can be experienced along the Park Shore and Needs Oar Point where you can take in the North Solent Nature Reserve, where you'll see Britain's largest colony of black-headed gulls.

Burley
This is a Scattered village near western edge of the New Forest where you'll notice attractive cottages, antique shops and of course the village pub. One mile north-west of here lies Castle Hill, an Iron Age fortress where you can see remains of its earthworks which can be traced among gnarled trees on the Castle Hill.

Rockbourne
This Hampshire village has one long street, and consists of Tudor and Georgian houses with splendid thatched cottages. The cottages on the north side of the street are reached by acrossing little bridges spanning a brook. Grouped around the courtyard are remains of a Roman villa. The Museum also displays finds which include mosaics.

Minstead
This village set in an interesting maze of lanes with a 13th century church where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (creator of Sherlock Holmes) is buried in the churchyard. One mile north-west of here, Rufus Stone marks presumed spot where William II was killed by an arrow while hunting in 1100. Also, worth a visit, is the magnificent fine oaks in the nearby Canterton Glen.

Lyndhurst
The town of Lyndhurst was the ancient capital of the New Forest which houses the large 17th century Queen's House. Home of Lord Warden of the Forest, it's used as a meeting place for governing 'Verderers'. The Multicoloured church here, built in 1860s, has windows by Burne-Jones and Morris. Alice (Hargreaves) of Alice in Wonderland lies in the churchyard.

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