Five Hampshire country pubs perfect for a pint in the sun

Look no further than our pick of five top Hampshire pubs with a great beer garden or seats in the sun, perfect for a pint or five while the weather is so good. 

The Cricketers Inn, Curdridge

It's the award-winning 18th Century Hampshire country pub with an indoor barbecue and big beer garden boasting a wood-fired pizza oven.

Sally and Stuart Downie opened The Cricketers Inn at Curdridge just after the first lockdown in July 2020.

They heavily invested in the historic village pub, sprucing up the interiors, organising a huge kitchen refit and reconfiguring the large beer garden to create a secure space for children to enjoy the new play area.

All the hard work is really starting to pay off now after several awards have come their way. The Cricketers scooped Country Pub of the Year at the Prestige South Awards and the National Pub & Bar Awards with a runners-up spot in the Beautiful South Awards Pub of the Year, which was announced earlier this year. 

The White Horse, Otterbourne

It's the Grade II listed former coaching inn which has been transformed into a country pub for the modern day.

Refurbished during the third national lockdown, The White Horse at Otterbourne boasts an outdoor bar and pizza oven, a popular children's play area, heated drinking and dining huts and a covered and heated pagoda.

The large rear garden is popular with families and also has a rear dining terrace, which tends to be used as an extension of the restaurant during the summer months.

In front of the pub, there is more space for drinking and dining with three heated huts and three large tables under a covered and heated pagoda favoured mainly by adult only parties. 

The Sir Walter Tyrrell, Brook 

This traditional pub offers music, meet ups, food and fun - all in the heart of the New Forest and close to the site of a British legend.

The Sir Walter Tyrrell at Brook lies just yards from the Rufus Stone, which marks the site of the demise of William II (Rufus).

The pub is named after the man who is said to have killed the King during a hunting accident in 1100.

With its vast outdoor area overlooking the Forest and impressive children's play area, it's a popular spot for families and visitors alike.

The Bucks Head, Meonstoke

It's the riverside country inn with spectacular views, famous pizzas and a secret garden.

The Bucks Head at Meonstoke is set next to the village church overlooking the village green and on the River Meon in the heart of the South Downs National Park.

It’s the perfect pitstop on The Meon Valley Trail, a great cycle route on an old disused railway line going between West Meon and Wickham.

The pub is also close to Old Winchester Hill Iron Age Fort and the Norman influenced church of St Andrew’s and Corhampton church, which enjoys Saxon features and dates from 1020.

The sister pub of The Shoe Inn at Exton, another riverside pub with stunning views of Old Winchester Hill, The Bucks Head has had its five letting rooms recently refurbished and gained a secret garden for guests as well as an outdoor covered stretch tent.

The Stag Hotel, Lyndhurst

It's the family-run pub retreat at the heart of a New Forest community with outdoor TV and an aviary.

The Stag Hotel is a grade II listed building nestled in the National Park on Lyndhurst's bustling High Street.

The Harris family, Steve, Maria and Nathalie, have just celebrated a year at the helm of The Stag in a lovely historical full circle.

In 1927, the Harris family ran the pub, which was built on the site of the old coaching inn.

Now, almost 100 years on, the Harris name has returned with the team breathing new life into this glorious public house with lots of outside space in which to enjoy a drink or two. 

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