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The King's Head

Pub with rooms in Hursley, Hampshire

From £85 per night

Curator's notes:

  • Georgian coaching inn near Winchester
  • Seasonal menu; local produce
  • Simple, comfortable bedrooms
  • Cellar bar with traditional skittle alley
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The King's Head

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Speak to us on +44 (0)203 868 4999

Overview

Standing opposite the parish church in picturesque Hursley, this Georgian coaching inn offers traditional British hospitality close to the South Downs, New Forest and the Hampshire coast.

Expect a classic country-house feel throughout the attractive red-brick inn - relaxing armchairs fronting roaring log fires in the bar and lounge, candles on old dining tables and fine prints (lit by wall lights) in the high-ceilinged dining room. The cosy, wood and slate-floored bar is the place to peruse the papers over a pint of Ringwood ale.

The menu mixes traditional pub favourites with more inventive dishes featuring herbs and vegetables grown in the garden or sourced locally. End the evening with a drink at the cellar bar or a game of traditional skittles in the skittle alley, before retiring to one of the eight elegant country-house rooms.

The King's Head is well placed for a wide range of country pursuits, including great walking, cycling and birdwatching opportunities in the New Forest, so remember to bring your wellies, or your bike. Winchester's cathedral city gives historical allure and the sailing hub of Hamble is just 30 minutes' drive away for some bracing sea air.

Rooms from

7 double & 1 single: £85


Good to know

  • All major credit cards accepted
  • Disabled access
  • Alfresco & private dining
  • Parking available

Town and city
Experience the charm of village life in this picturesque Hampshire village, or explore the cathedral city of Winchester, a 15 minute drive away.

Outdoor adventures
A wide range of country pursuits, including great walking, cycling and birdwatching opportunities nearby in the New Forest. It's also stone's throw from both the South Downs and the coast.

Rooms

Hursley has been called home by several notable figures in history, from bishops to royalty and the Cromwell family, so the eight rooms take their names from previous holders of the Hursley Estate.

Rooms are individually designed with a country-style feel, with each having its own unique feature, be it an original fireplace and antique furnishings, a four-poster bed, slipper baths in smart bathrooms, bold floral wallpaper, or space for a cosy sofa. All have warm soothing colours, and crisp linen and down on big comfy beds.

Room 1 (de Blois) has a slipper bath and separate walk-in shower, and the Spitfire Suite (Hursley House was the control centre of the Spitfire programme during WWII) has its own private entrance and sitting room, and is the only room where dogs are allowed overnight (£15).

Restaurant & bar

With the Hampshire countryside and the New Forest on the doorstep, the kitchen team have access to an incredible array of quality seasonal produce, from farm-eared beef to herbs and vegetables from local artisan producers.

Menus evolve with the seasons and successfully combine well-cooked pub classics (with a twist) with more creative dishes, perhaps chicken liver parfait, red onion marmalade and toasted sourdough, followed by sea bass, Nicoise salad and lemon dressing, or chicken, ham hock and leek pie with mash, leaving room for dark chocolate and orange cheesecake. There's delicious roast beef with horseradish sauce for Sunday lunch.

To quaff, there's local Ringwood ales on handpump, a short, interesting list of wines (17 by the glass), over 40 boutique gins, and a decent Espresso Martini to round off your meal in style.

Private dining

The cellar bar, once a regular meeting room for the Hursley Home Guards during World War Two, seats up to 30 people and is ideal for corporate meetings, conferences and private parties. The traditional skittles alley is also available for hire for private functions for up to 50 guests.

Experiences
Things to do

Just a short drive from the New Forest National Park, an ecologically protected area covering 219 square miles of unenclosed pasture, heathland and forests renowned for its free-roaming New Forest ponies. It's ideal for nature lovers - especially birdwatchers - and has hundreds of miles of trails to explore on foot, bike and horse.

If you'd rather something less active, simply cruise down Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive in your car to appreciate nature at her finest - see if you can spot the Knightwood Oak, which is thought to be almost 400 years old.

For heritage and cultural activities, don't miss Wolvesey Castle, the former Augustinian priory at Mottisfont; Beaulieu, which is home to the National Motor Museum, a Gothic palace, the ruins of a medieval abbey and a wondrous garden; and the nearby city of Winchester - England's ancient capital, former seat of King Alfred the Great and home to Winchester Cathedral.

Getting here

Directions

Nearest train station: Winchester
Taxi from station: 10min
Drive: Romsey 15min; Southampton 20min; London 1hr 25min

Address

Main Road, Hursley, Winchester, Hampshire SO21 2JW

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