The Hawk Inn, Hampshire

Overview

Nestled in the sleepy thatched village of Amport in the peaceful Pin Hill Brook valley, The Hawk Inn has been given a new lease of life by Upham Inns, who have spruced the place up with style and panache.

Expect a spacious, light and airy feel throughout with wood floors, exposed brick walls, shelves lined with books, jugs of fresh flowers, and candles galore in the evening. The rambling bar and dining areas radiate around the central bar servery with sofas and old leather chairs by the fire for relaxing with the papers and cosy corners for intimate dining. Migrate outside in summer to make the most of the riverside lawn, where teak tables and posh brollies on the smart front terrace look over the valley and fields. Across the lane, a vast field dotted with picnic benches drops down to the idly flowing Pin Hill Brook.

Add nine contemporary rooms, modern pub food, cracking beers and much to see and do in the area, and The Hawk is undoubtedly an ideal weekend destination from London. It's also the perfect pit stop en route west, so shun the Services and make time for lunch by the Pin Hill Brook.

Rooms from

Doubles: £104

Good to know

All major credit cards accepted
Alfresco and private dining
Disabled access
Parking available
Dog stay: £15 (1 room)

Water and waves
Relax beside the idly flowing Pin Hill Brook - a peaceful spot to enjoy a pint in the sun.

Family favourite
Kids are very welcome throughout the pub; they have their own menu, including mini Sunday roasts, and there are two larger family rooms with sofa beds.

Quiet romance
There are plenty of cosy corners for intimate dining and candles galore come evening.

Rooms

The nine upstairs rooms all have a fresh, contemporary feel with super comfortable beds topped with quality linen, warming throws with striking upholstered headboards and bright cushions adding a welcome splash of colour to each room.

Cord carpet, attractive wall coverings and fabrics, soothing colours, modern furnishings, Roberts radios, fresh Mozzo coffee and neat tiled bathrooms with fluffy towels and posh Ren toiletries complete the picture. Two rooms have bath only, the rest have good walk-in showers and the two family rooms have a separate lounge area with sofa bed. Standard rooms are quite compact, so for more space book one of the Superior or Family rooms.

Enjoy an early morning stroll through the picture-book village or beside the river, returning for a hearty breakfast that will set you up for a day's exploring - both Salisbury and Winchester are close.

Restaurant & bar

The Hawk delivers excellent quality pub food freshly prepared from local ingredients, with the seasonal menu successfully combining pub classics with more adventurous main courses.

Walkers and cyclists can rest and refuel at lunchtime on delectable sandwiches or bar snacks, or enjoy something more substantial such as ale battered cod with hand-cut chips, best enjoyed down by the river with a pint of Dark Star ale. On Sundays, tuck into roast rib of beef or pork with all the trimmings.

Share a plate of British charcuterie, indulge in the Hawk's hearty burger or enjoy a platter of local cheeses. To quaff, there's a good range of craft and real ales on tap, a raft of boutique gins, and a decent list of wines from Berry, Bros. & Rudd.

Private dining

Look out for summer events in the unique cabin-style marquee - you can also hire the space for a wedding or summer family barbecue. There is also a secluded area inside for private dining.

Things to do

When in this part of the world, you can't miss Stonehenge, the neolithic World Heritage Site thought to be at least 5,000 years old. Britain's most famous prehistoric monument, no one knows its exact purpose or how the smaller bluestones were brought here from Pembrokeshire. From every angle Stonehenge looks stunning but its especially striking from a distance when the ancient stones blend into the timeless downland setting.

For a little more history, head to the iconic Salisbury Cathedral. Finished in 1280 and home to the original copy of the Magna Carta, its spire is the tallest in the country, immortalised in John Constable's famous painting Salisbury Cathedral from the Meadows, painted in 1831.

Finally, visit Montisfort Abbey - a 12th-century former Augustinian priory which became a private house after the Dissolution of the monasteries. Now managed by the National Trust, Mottisfont includes a drawing room decorated by Rex Whistler and a superb walled garden containing one of the finest collections of roses in the country. A tributary of the Test flows prettily through the ground.