The Pilgrim, Marchwood (From Daily Echo)

The Pilgrim, Marchwood

1:09pm Thursday 30th April 2009 in

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IT may be only nine miles from the centre of Southampton but The Pilgrim in Hythe Road, Marchwood, is very much a country pub.

Although other parts of Marchwood are dominated by large industrial sites and modern housing estates, the southern end of the parish is still largely rural.

The Pilgrim is situated opposite open fields and the road leading past the main entrance is quiet compared with the nearby A326.

A tree-lined garden full of round, rustic tables enhances the pub’s picture postcard image.

The Pilgrim has recently undergone a £1.3m facelift in which it was extended and rethatched.

The neighbouring Pilgrim’s Progress restaurant was converted into 14 boutique bedrooms complete with fourposter beds and double showers.

When the work was complete the pub staged what it described as a Nosey Day to enable local residents to view the improvements.

More than 350 people attended the event, which coincided with Red Nose Day and raised hundreds of pounds for Comic Relief.

The Pilgrim is managed by Dave Etchell-Johnson, 41, and his wife Clair, 34. Clair used to run the White Hart in Hamble but the couple were mine hosts at a pub in Grayshott, near Guildford, before they moved to Marchwood in 2007.

They took over from Ron Longman, a former TV cameraman who had run the pub since 1976, when he converted what were formerly two cottages.

Clair said: “We’ve been here for more than two years and feel very settled.

“Most of our customers are locals. We do get a few holidaymakers but because we’re not on the main road they tend to be people who have strayed off the beaten track.”

The Fuller’s pub is renowned for its food and attracts diners from as far afield as Winchester, Poole and Fareham.

Trout from the River Test and beef from the New Forest are among the locally-sourced items to be found on the extensive menu. Coffees are often accompanied by tasty pieces of New Forest fudge.

But the pub’s main pulling power is its attractive appearance and friendly atmosphere.

Dave said: “The Pilgrim is the traditional chocolate box image of an English pub – thatched roof, old beams and an open fire.”