The southern English county of Hampshire is only two hours from London by car or by frequent rail services. The county has much to offer regardless whether you seek fast moving cities, rural open countryside, or beaches and boat trips.
On the coast you will find the bustling fierce rival city ports of Portsmouth, (fighting ships), and Southampton, (merchant and cruise liners). In Portsmouth you must visit the historic dockyard. Go on board Horatio Nelson's flagship "Victory", check out the "Warrior" and Henry the eighth's "Mary Rose" which is still undergoing restoration after being raised from the seabed. Take an hour's cruise to the Isle of Wight and see Britain's biggest yachting extravaganza at Cowes week. Southampton is the traditional homes of the Cunarder Queen liners. It still is, and fabulous views can be had of the spectacular liners coming and going up Southampton water from Calshot beach in the south of the county.
To the west of Southampton lies the tranquillity of the New Forest. The New Forest was established in the eleventh century by William the first as his personal hunting grounds. Thousands of wild ponies, deer, cattle, donkeys, and at certain times of the year pigs can be seen all over the forest running free. Drive with care at all times! Good months to visit are early May to take in and photograph the foaling season, and September, to see the roundup, known locally as the drift, when all the ponies are rounded up and branded and checked for health problems.
If you go walking in the forest, and you can go just about anywhere and it costs nothing, ensure you wear stout shoes as the Forest is the stronghold of Britain's only poisonous snake, the adder. All the town's stock antidote these days and deaths are unheard of, but an adder bite can still inflict nasty pain. Bites are very rare, adders are small snakes that rush off into the undergrowth, but just in case you should stand on one, good shoes are a must.
Check out Lyndhurst in the centre of the forest, Burley for the witches, I kid you not, Brockenhurst for the ponies, restaurants, hotels, and main line quick rail links, and lastly Lymington for sailing and interesting shops and antiques. To the north east of the county you will find Winchester, Hampshire's third city and the county town. This is a smaller ancient city boasting an impressive Cathedral, burial place of Jane Austen, as well as the monument to King Alfred, he of the burning of the cakes fame, Wessex's own ancient king.
There are ample opportunities for golf, sailing, and riding, and fly fishing too on the three majestic rivers, Itchen, Test and Avon. They can provide fishing on rivers as beautiful as you will find anywhere. If sea fishing is your thing check out Lymington where boat trips are to be had all year round. Hampshire is unquestionably one of England's most beautiful counties and a week would never be enough to take in all it has to offer. Why not stay for two? There is a wide variety of accommodation available from small inexpensive boarding houses to international standard hotels, cottages to riverside marina apartments. You can see thousands of cottages, villas and apartments worldwide on my web site now at www.pebblebeachmedia.co.uk.
Have a good holiday! And take care.
David Carter has written and published hundreds of articles over more years than he cares to remember. His latest work is SPLAM! a 244 page book on property letting and management. He runs three websites, SPLAM! for property, Homemax crammed with ideas for those who work from home, and Pebble Beach Media where you can find thousands of superb holiday cottages, villas and apartments worldwide.
He has recently completed a new novel "White Flags" which will be available in the new year.
Websites:
http://www.splam.co.uk for property letting and management
http://www.splam.co.uk for working from home and small business
http://www.splam.co.uk for worldwide holiday accommodation
More than one million tourists visit Costa Rica each year.... Read More
Making the decision to dive into the world of timeshares... Read More
Cairns Rainforest Retreat is ideally located for your unique rainforest... Read More
You are the owner of a timeshare and have decided... Read More
India has always been an irresistible tourist destination for people... Read More
As a resident, business owner and frequent skiier at Whistler,... Read More
Families have flocked to Hilton Head, South Carolina as long... Read More
This article is meant to be a guide for those... Read More
Most of us take vacations for the express purpose of... Read More
Vacation packages are a great way for travelers to book... Read More
Cheap vacations can still be relaxing, fun and whatever else... Read More
Many vacationers on Hilton Head Island have discovered a simple... Read More
What is the meaning of a "dream vacation"? What is... Read More
The Amazonat Jungle Lodge is offering in addition to her... Read More
Each year, over two million people find their way to... Read More
What are your chances of getting the vacation of a... Read More
Hilton Head Island's mild climate, slow pace, and beautifully forested... Read More
You have your tickets, your hotel or vacation rental reservations,... Read More
At the heart of Central Florida lies one of the... Read More
Choosing a condo in Maui is definitely a great investment.... Read More
Aphrodite's Hot SpotEuropean Road Trip AdventuresCyprus. Yes, it is a... Read More
There are a few patterns to consider when looking for... Read More
Timeshare presentations are tricky animals. They can either be an... Read More
The Bahamas serve as the perfect relaxation destination. With pristine... Read More
Within Volusia County, Florida, the small community of Ormond Beach... Read More
detailed home cleaning Morton Grove ...Lake Tahoe is a pristine recreational lake area. With high-stake... Read More
When I was young, family vacations with my parents consisted... Read More
How many of you have seen the classic Chevy Chase... Read More
I have a 17-year-old daughter who is finishing up a... Read More
Many times, when we plan a vacation, we know where... Read More
A beautiful and inexpensive place without a tourist in sight.... Read More
Gatlinburg cabin rental options range from old-fashioned rustic "log cabins"... Read More
More than one million tourists visit Costa Rica each year.... Read More
Going away on a vacation brings numerous benefits. It refreshes... Read More
The typical scenario goes something like this: your casual mention... Read More
Wiltshire is a large English county situated in central southern... Read More
Did you ever worry when traveling about the weather? Most... Read More
Traveling with children will be a memorable event ? the... Read More
The main difference between North and South Lake Tahoe is... Read More
Stay a week or stay a lifetime, the Emerald Coast... Read More
With India being a major world tourist in the world,... Read More
Disney Area Lodging DealsThe Orlando area communities of Lake Buena... Read More
Aquitaine with its 5 departments; Dordogne, Gironde, Landes, Lot-et-Garonne, Pyr?n?es-Atlantiques.Weather:... Read More
For many people, the Bahamas is a dream vacation site,... Read More
Work-rate, health and even personal relationships may be affected if... Read More
When staying in Orlando, you really do have a lot... Read More
Three major cascades at Havasu Creek create a landscape that... Read More
The Bahamas serve as the perfect relaxation destination. With pristine... Read More
Are you thinking about a great place to go for... Read More
Did you know there are no Smokey Mountain cabins for... Read More
Vacation Rental |