On the South Coast of England, between Dorset and Sussex, Hampshire is the beautiful link between the Home Counties and the Isle of Wight and Continental Europe.
History
Hampshire has one of the longest and richest history of human settlement and activity, traces of which visitors bump into around every bend of its charming country roads, in every picturesque village , at the heart of every big city and all along its beautiful coastline.
From prehistoric dinosaur remains to state-of-the-arts nuclear submarines, the history of European civilisation is richly illustrated. The Romans loved the gentle climate of Hampshire and built villas and vias, the Saxons flourished here, the Normans also called it home and built their fabulous keeps and churches, the Kings and Queens of England took great care in protecting this vitally important strategic area. Today millions of visitors come to Hampshire for its lovely mild weather, its wonderful beaches, its cathedrals and castles and its naval wealth.
Hampshire Today
Today Hampshire boasts an extraordinarily wide range of places of interest to suit every possible sort of visitor: prehistoric and Roman sites, cathedrals and churches(Winchester), pretty picturesque villages(Titchfield)
THE NEW FOREST
The New Forest is one of the most beautiful places to visit in the south of England. It was created "New " by William the Conqueror in 1079 as a reservation area for the deer it was his delight to hunt.
It consists largely of heathland, with a very rich variety of plant life and animals, including the New Forest deer, the famous ponies,cattle, donkeys and squirrels.
Discover the magic of the place on foot, by bike or on horseback at any time of the year.
Fareham is a bustling little town , which benefits from a good commercial position on the main A27 & M27 thoroughfares between Portsmouth and Southampton.
In the heart of the New Forest, this large village is amidst some of the loveliest land in the area.The forest ponies wander at will here, unafraid of the visitors and even straying into local shops.
The area is kept free of cars and presents a peaceful rural scene today. Buckler's Hard was the shipyard which built many of the men-of-war for Nelson's fleet.
This village opposite Buckler's Hard on the Beaulieu River is renowned for its magnificent gardens featuring rhododendrons bred by Lionel de Rothschild.
A lively yachting and sailing town at the mouth of the Lymington River. The streets still retain the flavour of an old harbour town with Georgian and Victorian cottages houses and shops.
On the River Avon, Ringwood is a pleasant and busy historic town. It has always been the New Forest's market town where modern and Georgian houses blend harmoniously.
The village of Rockbourne, on the high chalklands west of the New Forest, is one of Hampshire's prettiest villages, nestling beside a stream in a valley. But its fame rests on the Roman Villa discovered by a farmer in 1942.
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