Cottages in Hampshire

• Thatch and beams: Hampshire cottages run from thatched forest lets to converted barns and coach houses, most with enclosed gardens, wood burners and parking for country walks.
• Choose your corner: The New Forest suits pony spotting, Winchester suits history, and Lymington or Milford on Sea put the Solent on your doorstep.
• Guests rate them highly: Our best-reviewed Hampshire cottages sit at 9.9+ and above, praised for quiet lanes, welcoming hosts and easy access to woodland and coast.
• Eating out locally: From Petersfield brunch spots to Winchester's medieval dining rooms and Southsea fine dining, the county rewards a slow, unhurried appetite.
• Year-round appeal: Spring bluebells, summer sailing out of Lymington and autumn colour in the forest all reward a longer cottage stay.

These forest lets, flint-and-brick barn conversions, chalk-stream keepers' cottages and coach houses are tucked behind village high streets. Most owners are local and hands-on. Expect practical extras built around walking, riding and long, slow country days.

• Enclosed gardens and patios for evening meals outdoors
• Wood burners and open fireplaces for cooler months
• Off-road parking and boot rooms for muddy walking gear
• Well-equipped kitchens with dishwashers for self-catering
• Wi-Fi, and barbecues for long summer evenings

Book early for school holidays, when the best forest and coastal cottages go quickly.

What are the best areas to stay in Hampshire?

For a first visit, base yourself in the New Forest, where free-roaming ponies, heathland and the Solent coast all sit within a short drive. The table below details regions for specific interests:

What do our guests say?

Hampshire cottages consistently earn strong scores from our guests, with several sitting at 9.9+ over the past year. Reviewers single out the quiet village settings, generous gardens and thoughtful welcome packs from hosts who genuinely know the area. Walkers appreciate boot rooms and drying space, while families note how easy it is to reach both forest and coast without a long drive.

Here are our top-rated cottages from the past year:

1. Picket Hill Cottage - 9.9+: A four-person, pet-friendly cottage with garden and parking at Ringwood, on the western edge of the New Forest National Park.
2. Flanders Cottage - 9.9+: Sleeps eight and has both a pool and a garden, set at Hordle within reach of the forest and the Solent shore.
3. Pond Cottage - 9.9+: A seven-person cottage at Boldre with garden and parking, praised for its peaceful lane and classic forest-village setting.

Hampshire sits on England's south coast, bordered by Dorset, Wiltshire, Berkshire, Surrey and West Sussex, with two national parks and a long Solent shoreline.

🥗Where to eat in Hampshire?

According to Google Maps data and reviews, Josie's is the best rated restaurant in Hampshire. Below is a table showing the top 5 highly-rated restaurants hand-picked by our travel experts.

⭐Our guests' recommendation: Our guest traveller Charlotte recommends the Stables Wine Bar and Kitchen in Hampshire: a family-run spot on Petersfield High Street where the homemade dishes lean on local produce and nobody rushes you out.

1. Meet the New Forest ponies
2. Explore Winchester Cathedral
3. Step aboard at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
4. Walk the South Downs Way
5. Ride the Watercress Line
6. Fish and stroll the chalk streams
7. Beachcomb at Hayling Island

1. Meet the New Forest ponies

   The New Forest National Park covers roughly 220 square miles of heath, ancient oak woodland and open lawn, and its free-roaming ponies are the reason most people come. Park at Bolderwood or Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and walk out among the deer and the towering redwoods. Villages such as Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst make good stopping points for a pub lunch, and the whole area is criss-crossed with gravel tracks that suit families on bikes as much as long-distance walkers.

2. Explore Winchester Cathedral

   Winchester's cathedral has the longest nave of any Gothic cathedral in Europe and nearly a thousand years of history under its vaults. Inside you will find medieval wall paintings, the Winchester Bible and the grave of Jane Austen. Outside, the Cathedral Close leads to the water meadows and the walk to St Cross Hospital, one of the loveliest short strolls in the county. Combine it with the Great Hall and its Round Table for a full day in the old Wessex capital.

3. Step aboard at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

   The Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is the best naval day out in England. You can walk the gun decks of HMS Victory, see the raised timbers of the Tudor warship the Mary Rose alongside thousands of objects recovered with her, and board the ironclad HMS Warrior. A harbour boat tour shows the working naval base from the water, and the Spinnaker Tower next door at Gunwharf Quays gives long views over the Solent on a clear day.

4. Walk the South Downs Way

   Hampshire holds the western end of the South Downs National Park, and the South Downs Way starts in Winchester before running east towards Sussex. Even a short section rewards you: climb Butser Hill, one of the highest points in the county, for views across chalk downland and beech hangers. Queen Elizabeth Country Park nearby has waymarked trails and mountain-bike routes, and the village of Steep offers a quiet, literary detour associated with the poet Edward Thomas.

5. Ride the Watercress Line

   The Mid Hants Railway, better known as the Watercress Line, runs restored steam trains for ten miles between Alresford and Alton through classic Hampshire countryside. The name comes from the watercress beds the line once served, and Alresford is still the place to see them. Period stations, dining trains and seasonal events make it a reliable family afternoon, and Alresford's Georgian high street and colour-washed Broad Street are worth an hour on their own.

6. Fish and stroll the chalk streams

   The Test and the Itchen are among the most famous chalk streams in the world, gin-clear rivers running over flint and gravel. Fly fishing here is a pilgrimage for anglers, but you do not need a rod to enjoy them: the Test Way footpath follows the valley past Stockbridge, Longstock and Romsey, with watermeadows, mills and thatched cottages the whole way. Stockbridge's wide high street, with its shops and tea rooms, makes a natural halfway stop.

7. Beachcomb at Hayling Island

   On the county's eastern shore, Hayling Island offers four miles of beach, a long seafront promenade and reliably breezy water that made it a birthplace of British windsurfing. Families come for the shallow, sheltered side and the funfair; walkers take the Hayling Billy Trail, a disused railway line running along the harbour edge with wading birds on the mudflats. Chichester Harbour and the Langstone shoreline nearby are excellent for a slow, low-tide wander.