HAMPSHIRE & DORSET - England 2012 and the Best of Wales - page 302

modern tones with dazzling feature walls, and all include king-size beds and sharp,
contemporary embellishments. Executive rooms are worth the £10 to £20 extra, for
much more space: Our favorite is room no. 1, which comes with a sunken bath that
has its own TV. All that's missing from an almost perfect boutique package is a good
view. Children under 18 are not permitted.
Clarence Rd., Southsea, Hampshire PO5 2LQ. www.theclarencehotel.co.uk. & 023/9287-6348. Fax
023/9229-6346. 8 units. £95-£199 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities: Bar; room service. In room: A/C, TV, movie library, hair dryer, Jacuzzi (in some), Wi-Fi (free).
Westfield Hall Close to the pebble beach at Southsea, two adjacent early-20th-
century homes with large bay windows have been turned into a hotel with a certain
friendly charm and some character. One of the most inviting and most comfortable
of the little family-run hotels in the area, this establishment offers beautifully main-
tained, comfortably furnished bedrooms—including new superior doubles with king-
size beds. Contact the hotel directly for the best rate.
65 Festing Rd., Southsea, Hampshire PO4 0NQ. www.whhotel.info. & 023/9282-6971. Fax [phone]-
0200. 26 units. £64-£125 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. Ameni-
ties: Restaurant; bar; room service. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free).
IN NEARBY WICKHAM
Old House Hotel This handsome early Georgian (1715) structure set in a
pleasant village has undergone a classic refurbishment, giving it the feel of an English
country-house hotel. The paneled rooms on the hotel's ground and first floors con-
trast with the beamed bedrooms on the upper floors, which were once the servants'
quarters. All bedrooms have period furniture—many are original antiques—and
warm, comfortable beds. Four contemporary “Garden Suites” (they are actually
rooms, not suites), located in an annex, are more spacious but less characterful than
rooms in the main building.
The Square, Wickham, Fareham, Hampshire PO17 5JG. www.oldhousehotel.co.uk. & 01329/833049.
Fax [phone] units. £95-£170 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Amenities: Restaurant; bar. In room: TV, hair dryer, Wi-Fi (free). Bus: 69 from Fareham. Exit M27 at
junction 10. The village is 2 miles north of the junction of the B2177 and A32.

7

THE NEW FOREST
95 miles SW of London; 10 miles W of Southampton
Covering 56,658 hectares (140,000 acres), the New Forest National Park is a tract
of serene, rolling—and not entirely wooded—terrain largely demarcated by William
the Conqueror as a private hunting preserve. Henry VIII loved to hunt deer here, but
he also saw an opportunity to build up the British naval fleet by supplying oak and
other hard timbers to the boatyards at Buckler's Hard on the Beaulieu River, the
remains of which survive. It was Henry, too, who oversaw the 16th-century Dissolu-
tion of Beaulieu Abbey, the grounds of which are now home to the National
Motor Museum.
Away from the main roads, where signs warn drivers of wild New Forest dwarf
ponies and deer, you'll find a private world of pasture, heath, and mixed woodland.
The smallest National Park in the U.K. is a haven of peace and quiet, ideal for walk-
ing and cycling —and for sampling some of southern England's best country pubs.
Fall is the best time to visit, when summer crowds have thinned, the winding roads
have emptied, and the woodland colors are in full effect.