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Hampshire citizens enjoy an exceptional quality of life.
With higher than average temperatures and sunshine and lower than average rainfall in which to enjoy it.
To many, Hampshire conjures up a picture of vibrant cities, a rich military and maritime heritage, bustling market towns, National Parks and stimulating attractions. To others, Hampshire is the essence of England, a place where they would love to live. The landscape of leafy lanes scattered with charming villages combined with church, manor house and stately home to create a picture of timeless beauty.
Coast
The Hampshire coastline has many attractive harbours, marinas and estuaries. The county hosts the internationally renowned boat show in Southampton, home of ocean sailing and the annual Cowes week on the Isle of Wight attracts over 100,000 spectators. Ninety percent of the 34 miles of coastline in Hampshire has international conservation designation and all bathing beaches meet European Union mandatory standards.
Countryside
Walking is a popular pastime for a large proportion of the population. Among the 3,000 plus miles of footpaths, bridleways and byways that criss-cross Hampshire there are eleven long distance footpaths.
Countryside activities include horse riding, walking, and country pursuits such as clay and game shooting. Keen anglers from all over the world, including George Bush Senior, visit the stunning Test Valley to fish the River Test and its tributaries for its abundance of large stocked brown and rainbow trout.
The New Forest National Park, with its free grazing deer, ponies and cattle, is a unique landscape of ancient woodland, heather-covered heath, gentle farmland, coastal salt marsh and picturesque villages. To the East of Hampshire the rolling countryside of the South Downs National Park spreads into West Sussex.
Sport
A place where you can start your day running through English countryside and finish it kitesurfing in the sea, and still go to work in between.Hampshire offers a wealth of sporting opportunities from getting active in its serene open spaces to watersports rivaling anywhere in Europe and from country pursuits to spectating world-class cricket and football.
Culture
The cosmopolitan cities of Portsmouth and Southampton offer a range of modern bars, restaurants and shopping.Southampton’s internationally renowned Art Gallery houses an impressive art collection, spanning six centuries of European art history and the city’s Mayflower Theatre is the south’s major venue for large-scale touring musicals, opera and ballet.
Theatre and music groups are thriving and across the county there are public festivals and special events to celebrate just about everything.
Market Towns and Villages
Hampshire is home to many attractive market towns and quintessential English villages with ancient buildings and traditional pubs, tea rooms and top quality Hampshire restaurants offering real ales and delicious local food. Many of these towns have local festivals and events throughout the years and regular farmers’ markets.
Hampshire Cities
Explore more than 1000 years of history in Europe’s longest medieval Cathedral in Winchester, England’s Ancient Capital. Visit the Tall Ships and Mary Rose at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard and enjoy the shopping and famous Art Gallery in the coastal city of Southampton.
History
Beautiful locations across Hampshire are steeped in Royal history. Winchester was once the capital of England in the days of King Alfred whose statue dominates the eastern approach to the city and whose legendary Round Table is displayed in the city’s Great Hall. Winchester Cathedral, resting place of the kings, is the burial place of King Rufus, killed while enjoying the Royal Hunting Grounds of the nearby New Forest.
The stately home of Broadlands near Romsey was the chosen location for the Queen’s honeymoon and was also enjoyed by Prince Charles and Lady Diana in 1981. Portsmouth is home to the historic Tudor warship the Mary Rose, King Henry VIII’s favourite ship which sank off Portsmouth in 1545 and is currently part of a £35 million heritage project to build an internationally-renowned museum.
Local Food
National award-winning cheeses, fresh trout, tempting chocolate, fresh watercress, beers and wine, quality meat, chutney and jam.....Hampshire has an abundance of quality food and drink grown, produced and reared in the county.
The Hampshire Food Festival, a celebration of local food and drink it is the largest event of its kind in the country and takes place each July. County food group Hampshire Fare can provide you will all of the information you need about Hampshire’s local food.
Make Hampshire Home
Hampshire has an unrivalled diversity of property in both urban and rural settings. Apartments on the seafront, thatched cottages in the Test and Meon Valleys and the New Forest, new executive developments adjacent to the motorway networks or character family homes in country towns like Alresford or Romsey.
