Our guide to luxury Hampshire holidays

Yes, almost all of the New Forest’s 140,000 acres sits in Hampshire, with a smaller part in Wiltshire. Completely unsown, this ancient forest and heathland is unchanged since medieval times. It was William the Conqueror who originally named this area as the ‘new hunting forest’ in 1079. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the forest is best known for its wild ponies, wandering the land and occasionally poking their noses into open car windows passing by.

Sat snugly between Dorset, Wiltshire, Surrey, and West Sussex, Hampshire is located in south-central England. Roman villas dot the countryside, romantic monastic ruins lie in wait for afternoon picnics, and remnants from the medieval wool trade still colour the streets of Winchester to this day. With a charming coastline, ancient forests, rolling chalk downlands, historical market towns, and the cities of Portsmouth and Southampton too, this is a county for all explorers.

Yes, in fact she grew up in Hampshire, in the village of Steventon until she was 25. One of Britain’s most celebrated authors, she later moved to the pretty village of Chawton, where her brother owned Chawton House. He found a cottage in the village for Jane, her sister and her mother – which is now known as Jane Austen’s House Museum. It was from here, in the peaceful countryside near Alton, that Jane Austen wrote some of her greatest works, including Emma, Mansfield Park, and Persuasion, and it now resides as a small indy museum open to the public.

Perhaps not the largest by population, of which Southampton claims the title, Winchester is Hampshire’s official county town. Once capital to the ancient Saxon kingdom of Wessex, and England’s capital in 871, it’s now most well-known for Winchester Cathedral, both grand and ornate in nature. As one of England’s smallest cities, it’s easily accessible on foot. Slowly amble your way through its cobbled streets, exploring the city’s hidden antique shops and cafes, before landing at Winchester Castle, home to King Alfred’s legendary round table.

Many say Beaulieu is the prettiest of them all, the name itself meaning ‘beautiful place’. Perched on the banks of the tidal Beaulieu River, wooden-beamed buildings line quaint streets and classic car enthusiasts roll through the centre, having visited the nearby classic motor museum and estate. Meandre the high street, dipping into independent boutiques and tiny tearooms for slabs of apple cake. Further up the river, you’ll find Buckler’s Hard, an old, 18th-century shipbuilding village that built Admiral Nelson’s great Agamemnon warship, used in the Battle of Trafalgar.