Fordingbridge

All The Cool Stuff

Children big and small love this toy store, selling figurines, playsets, games and other collectibles. Wide range of brands from Lego and Playmobil to Star Wars, Transformers, My Little Pony and Sylvanian Families. Even better, the owner knows his Stormtroopers from his Decepticons.

Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 9:30AM-5PM

Arniss Equestrian

British Horse Society and Pony Club-accredited stables offering group and private tuition at all levels of experience. Or you can enjoy some of the finest horse country in England with a guided "hack" (leisure ride) into the New Forest.

By appointment only·Lessons: 30 min from £33 pp, 1 hr £35 pp; hacks: 1 hr from £45 pp, 2 hr from £80 pp, 3 hr £115 pp

Augustus John Statue

Grade II-listed bronze sculpture of the Fordingbridge artist, by Ivor Roberts-Jones. In contrast to many overidealised memorial statues, John is depicted as rather showing his age, looking unsteady on his feet, albeit still brimming with passion and something akin to defiance.

Belinda's

Chatty bakery and tea shop, popular for its artisan bread, cakes, and sausage rolls.

Mon-Sat 8AM-3PM

Breamore House

An Elizabethan (late 16th century) manor house with very fine period furniture, paintings, and tapestries. Each of the main rooms is seemingly frozen in a particular era, from the Tudor great hall and bedrooms, to the Stuart dining room and Regency-era drawing rooms. The house was built on the site of an Augustinian monastery, a victim of the Reformation, and has been in the hands of the Hulse family for nine generations. The ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users.

Apr and Oct: Tue, Sun noon-5:30PM; May-Sep: Tue-Thu Sun noon-5:30PM; and open bank holidays throughout the year·Adult £9.50, senior £8, child (5-15 years) £6, under 5 free

Breamore Mizmaze

A medieval turf maze in a grove of yew trees atop Breamore Down, one of only two surviving examples in England. Composed of concentric rings which lead to the centre and bisected by a Christian cross, it is believed to have been created by the monks of Breamore Priory, who apparently crawled to the middle on their knees while praying as penitence. The maze is fenced off, so you can't try it out, but you can see all of it and the hike to get there offers some fab views over the countryside.

Accessible daily, during daylight hours·Free - not necessary to purchase entry to the estate

Bridges

Great café open for breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. Fine collection of baguettes and paninis, garnished jacket spuds, and a few hot meals (cottage pie, macaroni cheese). Something sweet for afters? Look no further than their amazing Dorset apple cake with clotted cream.

Daily 9AM-4PM·Full English or veggie breakfast £7.50, lunches £5-£9, cream tea £6

Countryside Museum

The comprehensive collection of steam-powered farm machinery, including a gorgeous red traction engine called "The Dreadnought", is just the start. This museum brings Breamore life as it was 100+ years ago into the present day with a replica farm worker's cottage, and faithful recreations of numerous village amenities: the schoolroom, smithy, dairy, brewery, the wheelwright's shop, the saddler's shop, a laundry... Fully accessible to wheelchair users.

Open same days as house, 1-5PM·Included in entry to Breamore House, or if just visiting museum: adult £4, senior £3.50, child (5-15 years) £3, under 5 free

D Price Butchers

Delightfully old-fashioned butcher shop which, as the handpainted sign over the door proudly boasts, is "licensed to sell game and venison". The vast majority of their meat comes from Hampshire or Dorset, and much of it from the New Forest. Try their breakfast special - pork sausage and a fried egg dripping with yolk served in a bagel; it ain't kosher, but it sure is tasty!

Tue-Sat 7:30AM-5PM

Fordingbridge Country Market

A weekly homemade market for fresh bread and cakes, seasonal fruit and veg, preserves, flowers and knitwear.

Fri 9:30AM-11:30AM

Fordingbridge Farm Shop

Opened in 2021. A vast range of exquisitely-presented groceries from Hampshire and Dorset. Loads of affordable fresh veg, cheese, preserves, pastries and wine, while the dry-aging meat is a sight to behold. Hot and cold ready meals prepared on-site. Staff are friendly and knowledgable about food.

Mon-Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun 10AM-4PM

Fordingbridge Festival

Annual community festival on a Saturday in mid-July. Expect heavy horse obstacle racing, dog shows, tug of war, falconry, arts and crafts, and live music.

July 2023

Fordingbridge Kebab House

Locally-popular fast food shop for kebabs, burgers, chicken and pizza, all freshly made to order. Limited indoor seating.

Daily 3-10PM·Meals £5-£8

Fordingbridge Museum

Volunteer-run museum which, over two floors of a former granary, packs in displays on almost every aspect of local life and history you could think of: small businesses, archive photos, Augustus John, town life during the Victorian and wartime eras, the local footie club...

Easter-Halloween Mon-Sat 11AM-4PM·Free, donations welcome

Great Bridge

One of only two bridges in the UK with seven arches, this is a pretty spot to take in the river. If the constant stream of traffic puts you off, you can get a more peaceful view of the ancient crossing from Riverside Park.

Hockey's Farm Shop

This shop's tagline is "Bring the New Forest home", and that's exactly what you can do with their range of regional food and drink produce. Hockey's butcher much of their own meat, and source the rest from nearby farms; their pigs forage for acorns and mushrooms in the traditional way in the forest during autumn. It's not all raw protein, though, as you can also pick up local fruit and veg, dairy, beer and cider. Further information on provenance is published on their website.

Daily 9AM-5PM

Insight Activities

archery & axe throwing

Email via online contact form (page bottom). Supervised fun with mediaeval weapons in the woods! Guided sessions for absolute beginners in longbow archery, crossbow shooting and axe throwing. The tuition is personable and humorous with an emphasis on safety and proper technique. Combine a lesson with an activity: in 'Siege the Castle', groups design their own giant projectile and fire at a model castle, while 'Combat Tag' combines a number of archery team games - back-to-back duelling, capture the flag and something called 'death match'. The archery range is open to all ages, while the other activities aren't suitable for children under 12.

Booking essential·Archery only (2 hr): £25 pp; archery, crossbow and axe throwing (2 hr 30 min): £35 pp; siege the castle (2 hr): £30 pp; combat tag (2 hr): £30 pp

La Lambretta

Above-average Italian food served in a smart red-brick and white-tablecloth restaurant.

Mon-Sat 5:30-9PM·Mains £10-19, pizzas £9-14

New Forest Water Park

A private lake for water sports and activities. There are two wakeboard systems; one for beginners to practise (15 min lessons are usually enough even for first-timers), and a main course on which to try out tricks, jumps and rails. The Aqua Park features two floating obstacle courses with hurdles, climbing walls, slides and more. For a more relaxing activity, the park also offers kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and freshwater swimming. The park also has a campsite (see below).

Easter-early Nov. Times and days vary, but most often Wed-Sun noon-8PM. Check site·Wakeboarding: 15-minute lesson £35, 2 hr on main course £30. Aquapark 1 hr £20. Kayaking 1 hr £20/£30 single/double kayak. Paddleboarding 1 hr £20. Swimming £7. Wetsuits for hire £5

Pullman dining carriage at the Railway Hotel

"First class" modern British dining in a space designed to resemble a Pullman carriage entering a tunnel; in summer, the tables spill onto an outdoor terrace which is like a station platform from the age of steam. The hotel also serves its own brand of bitter, amber ale, and cider.

Mains £14-18, Isle of Wight sirloin £26

Pumpkin Pastures

Pick your own pumpkins: choose from 30 varieties (and not just the bright orange ones), explore recipes, or carve your own jack-o-lantern. Family-friendly games, seasonal crafts, and hot and cold refreshments are all part of the fun.

Mid-Oct until Halloween daily 9:30AM-4PM. Early bonfire night fireworks display, Sat 30 Oct 6PM·Free entry and parking. Pumpkins from £1 each. Fireworks £5 pp

Raj of India

In Britain, all the best neighbourhood curry houses inspire loyal local followings for their friendly service of well-cooked old favourites at a reasonable price. This is such a place.

Daily noon-2:30PM, 6-11:30PM·Mains £6-11

Regal Cinema

Classy Art Deco cinema, built in 1933 and lovingly restored in 2016. The façade is nice, but the lobby and the bar are something else, so make sure you allow some time to enjoy them before or after the film. The intimate 30-seat auditorium makes each screening - of film, live theatre or opera - special.

Box office Mon-Fri 8:30AM-1:30PM, 2:30PM-5PM·Ticket prices can vary, but most are £10.70 for adults and £7.70 for children and students

Riverside Park

Fordingbridge Park or Recreation Ground

Despite not knowing what to call itself, this has pretty much everything you'd want from a small town park: a decent-sized playground, sports pitches, a snack kiosk that makes its own ice lollies, and even a shingle beach where you can paddle or swim in the languid waters of the Avon.

Daily 8AM-7PM

Rockbourne Roman Villa

This luxurious courtyard villa was built during the first five centuries of the common era, and subsequently vanished beneath the earth before being rediscovered by a farmer's dog in 1942. The few visible remains include an excavated portion of hypocaust and some wonderfully-preserved mosaic. The adjacent museum houses other Roman objects discovered at the villa and in the local area: tools, pottery, a hoard of coins, a mysterious skeleton, and two 3rd-century milestones with Latin inscription. Kids can make their own mosaic and dress up as a centurion. On-site café and picnic area.

Adult £4.50, concession £3.50, child (5-15 years) £2.25, under 5 free

Rockbourne Trout Fishery

Fish for trout at this complex of six lakes with exclusive access to a 1-mile stretch of pristine chalk stream. The wild Hampshire natives are brown trout, though other species have been brought in from around the world to supplement these. At the end of the day, you can swap your catch for a packet of smoked trout.

Daily 8AM-7PM / dusk (winter)·Day tickets from £48; tuition 1 hr £40, 3 hr £100; tackle / rods for hire £15

St Mary's Church, Breamore

A handsome flint church whose external architecture has scarcely been altered since the 10th century, having survived a millennium during which almost every other Saxon church in the country was extensively modified by successive generations of 'improvers' who thought they knew better. The insides were messed with a bit more, yet many of the original features remain. Look out for an exceedingly rare example of a surviving Old English inscription, above a sturdy arched doorway, along with an equally old and rare 'rood' (depiction of Jesus on the cross) and other ancient wall paintings. It's no exaggeration to say that this is one of England's most historically important churches.

Free

St Mary's Church, Fordingbridge

Mentioned in the Domesday Book, Anglo-Saxon St Mary's was rebuilt from circa 1150 until 1230 by the Normans. It's attractive, if fairly typical of rural churches in the region, with the main historical interest being two memorials: one to Charles Chubb, the locksmith and safe manufacturer; the other to James Seton, a young man whose sad claim to fame is for being the last person to be killed in a duel on English soil, in 1845.

The Bat & Ball

International pub grub with great choice of dishes from fish to grills, sandwiches, pizzas and salads. Large beer garden with awnings, and three fireplaces inside.

Sun-Thu noon-10PM, Fri Sat noon-11PM·Mains £13-22. Sunday lunch: adult £15, child £7

The Cottage Loaf

Artisan bakery known for its sourdough breads and seasonal cakes and pastry. Takeaway only.

Mon-Fri 7AM-4PM, Sat 7AM-3PM, Sun 9AM-3PM