Calling the Bold Forester a pub almost feels as if you are doing it a disservice.

From the outside, it is nothing out of the ordinary, but once you set foot inside the door it becomes clear that this is so much more than your average New Forest pub.

Stepping into the main bar area, you are greeted with a warm, friendly atmosphere, helped by soft lighting and traditional décor – perfect for a quiet drink with friends or family.

But before you even reach the bar, it becomes clear that this is just one experience offered up by the Bold Forester. To one side of the bar sits the restaurant area, which has become well known for its carvery dinners.

Now served seven days a week, the carvery is very reasonably priced at just £5.25 from Monday to Saturday and £7.99 on Sundays.

And with an extensive food menu served alongside it, offering a selection of curries and burgers from as little as £4.99, there is plenty of choice to tickle everyone’s taste buds.

Meanwhile down at the opposite end of the bar lie a conservatory, complete with flat- screen television for live sport and a separate room that manager Jay McIlwain has dubbed the “sports area,” kitted out with a skittle alley, pool table and dartboard.

Jay, who took over the running of the pub just three weeks ago alongside his partner Eileen, hopes to use the sports area as a catalyst to make the Bold Forester the hub of the community once again.

“We definitely want to get some leagues going, get our own darts team, a pool team and hopefully a skittles team,” he said.

“At the moment there’s nothing like that at all here, so we want to get that going soon and really get involved with the local community.

“It’s early doors yet, but we also have a field over the back of the beer garden that we want to turn into an allotment and get the local primary school involved in that too.”

Definitely not your average New Forest pub then.

Bold Forester, Beaulieu Road, Marchwood, SO40 4UQ. 023 8086 5967