Romsey

Romsey's hotels and B&Bs suit visitors who want a quieter, more affordable base than Winchester or Southampton while staying within easy reach of both, plus the New Forest and Test Valley countryside. The town centre offers a handful of traditional inns and small hotels within walking distance of Romsey Abbey and the Market Place, ideal if you want to explore on foot and finish the day at a local pub. A little further out, options near the River Test and Broadlands suit those keen on riverside walks or fishing, while country hotels in the surrounding villages appeal to visitors splitting their time between Romsey and the New Forest. Because Romsey is a working market town rather than a tourist honeypot, rooms tend to be well priced compared with nearby Winchester, and it is rarely difficult to find a bed even at short notice outside major event weekends. The town's position just off the A27 and M27, with its own railway station on the Southampton to Salisbury line, also makes it a practical base for visiting the wider region without a car. Whether you are here for the abbey, the fishing on the Test, or simply passing through on a longer Hampshire tour, Romsey's hotels offer straightforward comfort without the premium prices of the bigger nearby towns.

Romsey rewards a slow visit rather than a checklist, but a handful of sights are genuinely worth building a day around.

• Romsey Abbey — A largely Norman parish church dating back over a thousand years, and the largest parish church in Hampshire. Free to enter, with self-guided leaflets and a children's trail, and quiet enough to appreciate the scale of its Romanesque arches.
• Broadlands — The Palladian mansion and estate on the edge of town, former home of Lord Mountbatten and, before him, Prime Minister Lord Palmerston. The house opens to visitors in the summer months and hosts craft fairs and events through the year, set in parkland running down to the River Test.
• River Test — Follow the riverside paths through the water meadows to watch trout hold steady in the current; the river is one of the finest chalk streams in Europe and a magnet for fly fishing, even if you are only there to look.
• Sir Harold Hillier Gardens — A 180-acre arboretum and gardens just outside town, home to one of the largest tree and shrub collections in the UK and spectacular in autumn colour.
• Mottisfont — A National Trust house a few miles upriver, built on the site of a medieval priory and famous for its walled rose garden, at its best in June.
• Romsey Signal Box — A restored Victorian signal box near the station, opened to the public on selected days, where visitors can operate the original levers.
• Romsey Market — A traditional market held in the Corn Exchange and Market Place, running since a Tudor charter, with local produce and bric-a-brac stalls.

The Three Tuns, a 300-year-old Grade II listed pub just off the Market Place, has built a strong reputation for its seasonal British menu and real ales. The Hunters Inn on Winchester Hill is a family and dog-friendly pub known for generous, locally sourced food. For something different, La Parisienne on Bell Street offers a slice of French bistro dining, while The Old House at Home, a 17th-century thatched pub, is a good bet for a proper fireside pint. The weekly market and independent bakeries and cafes around the Market Place round out a decent spread for a town of Romsey's size.

Wild camping is not legally permitted in England without the landowner's explicit permission, and Romsey is no exception, so plan on a proper campsite or a farm pitch with the owner's consent rather than pitching up on the riverbank or in the water meadows around the Test. The town sits on the edge of the Test Valley, gently rolling chalk downland and river meadows rather than the heathland of the New Forest a little further south, so campsites in the immediate area tend to be small, rural sites set among farmland, orchards or paddocks, with the New Forest's larger Forestry England campsites within easy reach for those wanting a change of scenery. The terrain is generally easy walking and cycling country, with the Test Way long-distance path passing close to town for anyone keen to explore by foot from a fixed base.

Late spring through early autumn is the most comfortable stretch for camping here, when the water meadows are at their greenest and evenings are long enough for a walk along the river after dinner; the Hillier Gardens and Mottisfont's rose garden are also at their best in this window, giving campers plenty to fill the days. Summer school holidays bring the busiest spell, particularly around the New Forest sites, so booking ahead is wise if you want a pitch near Romsey itself in July and August. Outside those months the New Forest fringe stays mild by UK standards, though sites thin out and many rural options close over winter.

Glamping has a growing presence around Romsey and the wider Test Valley, with shepherd's huts, bell tents and safari-style lodges on small farms offering a step up from a tent without losing the rural feel, and several sit close enough to walk into town for a pub dinner. Combined with the New Forest's wider glamping scene just to the south, it means visitors after a proper bed and a fire pit rather than guy ropes and groundsheets have plenty of choice within a short drive of Romsey.