Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Drinking & Dining Pubs in the New Forest
The New Forest is blessed with an array
of good country pubs—dining destina-
tions in themselves as much as places
to just enjoy a pint of local ale. The
unremarkable exterior of the
Ship in
Distress
, 66 Stanpit, Christchurch
(
&
01202/485123;
www.theshipin
distress.com), hides a fine place for not
only liquid sustenance but also some
of the best-prepared seafood in the
county. Dishes change with the catch:
Expect the likes of roast filet of cod
with black pudding and celeriac mille
feuille. Most main courses cost around
£16, rising to £28 for a mixed shellfish
platter. Lunch and dinner is served
daily; book ahead at weekends.
The tranquil
Mill at Gordleton
produce, which is prepared with skill
in such dishes as English wild duck with
thyme braised potatoes, and red cab-
bage. Main courses range from £17 to
£27. There's also a bar menu with simpler,
cheaper lunches and snacks. The Mill is
open daily for lunch and dinner; children
are welcome at lunch only. Reservations
are recommended for the restaurant.
The
Red Lion
, Rope Hill, Boldre,
near Lymington (
&
01590/673177;
www.theredlionboldre.co.uk), is a cozy,
mazelike inn with roots in the 15th cen-
tury. The menu is in the “traditional pub
grub” mold, but dishes like ham and
chips with a free-range egg, or slow
roasted Hampshire pork belly are well
executed. Main courses cost between £9
and £17. In summer, the garden is one of
the best spots in the New Forest for sit-
ting in the sun with a pint of ale from
nearby Ringwood brewery.
The bar at the
Master Builder's
House Hotel
(see below) also serves
tasty, affordable fare to non-guests.
7
,
Silver Street, Hordle, near Lymington
(
&
01590/682219;
www.themillat
gordleton.co.uk), is a refined take on a
riverside inn, complete with babbling
brook and weeping willows in the gar-
den. The management has a firm com-
mitment to locally sourced, organic
views of the spacious grounds. The best units are the Croquet Lawn Rooms, which
open onto the greens and have big private balconies or terraces.
Christchurch Rd., New Milton, Hampshire BH25 6QS. www.chewtonglen.com.
&
01425/275341,
or
800/398-4534
in the U.S. Fax 01425/272310. 58 units. £299-£595 double; from £535 suite. 2-night mini-
mum stay most weekends. AE, DC, MC, V. Free parking. After leaving the village of Walkford, follow signs
off the A35 (New Milton-Christchurch Rd.).
Amenities:
Restaurant; bars; bikes; golf course (9 holes);
health club & spa; 2 heated pools (1 indoor, 1 outdoor); room service; tennis courts (2 indoor, 2 outdoor).
In room:
A/C, TV/DVD, CD player, hair dryer, minibar, MP3 docking station (in most), Wi-Fi (free).
Master Builder's House Hotel
The phrase “snug and secluded” could have
been invented for the remote former house of Admiral Nelson's “master builder,”
Henry Adams (1744-1805). The decor throughout is appropriately nautical in feel,
but never completely abandons its contemporary edge. Superior rooms (all in the
wonderfully labyrinthine original building) have an estuary and garden view, and are
worth the extra money over standard rooms in the new wing.
A
cozy, wood-beamed bar
serves tasty dishes like dressed Lymington crab or a
daily pie served with mash and seasonal vegetables, with main courses ranging
between £8.50 and £19. There's also a more
formal restaurant
for evening dinners
(guests add £30 per person to room rate for dinner).
Buckler's Hard, Hampshire SO42 7XB. www.themasterbuilders.co.uk.
&
01590/616253.
25 units, 8 in
historic building. £105-£180 double. Rates include English breakfast. AE, MC, V. Free parking.
Ameni-
ties:
Restaurant; bar; bike rental (1 wk. notice required); Wi-Fi (free).
In room:
TV, hair dryer.
