Local Guide
Medstead, Hampshire

The local area

You’ll likely chance upon more local wildlife ambling along the public bridleways. Or perhaps go discover what’s on offer at the local establishments. The local pub and village shop are about a 20 minute walk away.

Please check websites for up-to-date times and days of opening.

Things To Do

See the steam trains at The Watercress Line

The Railway Station, Station Road, New Alresford SO24 9JG • Google Maps

Charming steam railway with four heritage stations running 10 miles from Alresford, stopping at Ropley station and Medstead & Four Marks station, before arriving at Alton station where it connects to National Rail services.

01962 733810 • watercressline.co.uk

Hattingley Valley Winery Tour

Wield Yard, Lower Wield, SO24 9AJ • Hattingley Valley Wines

The most delicious English sparkling wine you will find in Hampshire (and in our opinion the entire UK) right on your doorstep. The vineyards share the same seam of chalk as Champagne, France and you can see them in the field right next to the Wagon in the Woods and Wagon and the Wigwam (The Horse Hut’s beautiful sisters).

We would highly recommend a tour of the winery but these need to be pre-arranged. You can pick up a bottle from the winery (200 yards past The Yew Tree pub in Lower Wield) or Medstead Handy Store. The vines you see on the hill to the right as you look over the valley are also Hattingley Valley vines.

01256 389188 • hattingleyvalley.com

Visit Jane Austen's House

Winchester Rd, Chawton, GU34 1SD • Jane Austen's House

Where Jane Austen lived and wrote her novels. Booking ahead is essential.

01420 83262• janeaustens.house

Wining & Dining

The Three Horseshoes

Bighton, SO24 9RE • Google Maps

Lovely pub recently reopened with great food.

01962 735876 • Instagram @thethreehorseshoesbighton • thethreehorseshoesbighton.com

The Yew Tree

Lower Wield, SO24 9RX • Google Maps

Great food and local ale with a fabulous atmosphere and open log fire.

01256 389224 • theyewtreelowerwield.co.uk

The Castle of Comfort

Medstead, GU34 5LU • Google Maps

Pub food and selection of beverages with an enlarged beer garden.

01420 562112 • castleofcomfortpub.com

Triple fff Brewery

3 Magpie Works, Station Approach, Four Marks, GU34 5HN • Google Maps

Have a drink at the ‘Offf the rails’ bar. Purveyors of fine ales, also selling locally distilled gin and vodka with a rustic bar opposite the brewery. The Moondance is an award winning pale ale (and was present at all of our family weddings) or the Goldfinger, a popular lager. You can buy take away or drink in.

01420 561422 • Instagram @triplefffbrewery • triplefff.com

Nosh Café

24 Lymington Bottom Rd, Medstead, GU34 5EW • Google Maps

Delicious breakfasts, lunch and teatime treats. Takeaway or eat in.

01420 568179 • noshcafebar.com

Local Shops

The Handy Store & Post Office

High Street, Medstead, GU34 5LW • Google Maps

A small village store but has most essentials and also sells Hattingley Valley wine.

01420 563311

Clementines Fruit & Veg

1 Lymington Bottom Rd, Four Marks, GU34 5DL • Google Maps

Local greengrocers with seasonal produce.

01420 563984 • Active on Facebook

N.W. Reads Butchers

Lymington Farm, 27 Lymington Bottom Rd, Medstead, GU34 5EW • Google Maps

Buy locally sourced meat, cheese, pies and other products.

01420 562139 • hampshirebutcher.co.uk

Loaf Bakery

3 Oak Green, Four Marks, GU34 5HQ • Google Maps

Bakery and café

01420 562449 • loafbakery.co.uk

Garthowen Garden Centre & Tree House Coffee Shop

Alton Lane, GU34 5AJ • Google Maps

Selling plants and other products with café and outdoor seating area

01420 564325 • garthowen.co.uk

Other local mentions

Four Marks, in addition to the aforementioned, has several small shops, including cafes, florists, a wine merchant, hairdressers, two small supermarkets and a pharmacy. There is also Watercress Medical (directions) and Boundaries Surgery (directions) should you need an emergency GP appointment.

The village also hosts a few restaurants/take aways; China Garden (Chinese take away, directions), The Tall Ship (fish and chips, directions) or The Saffron (Indian, directions) does take away as well as dine in.

Alresford

About a 20 mins drive away • Voted Country Life's 'Favourite Market Town' in the South East

The pretty Georgian market town hosts a fine selection of restaurants, pubs, café, boutique clothing and gift shops. There is a nice river walk where you can feed the ducks. The steam railway runs here too (The Watercress Line).

The Bell Inn

12 West St, Alresford, SO24 9AT • Google Maps

A favourite and open on Mondays when the more local pubs are closed.

01962 732429 • bellalresford.com

Long Barn

Bishops Sutton Rd, Alresford, SO24 9EJ • Google Maps

A charming garden centre just out of town and a good spot for a coffee.

01962 738684 • longbarn.co.uk

Pulpo Negro

28 Broad St, Alresford, SO24 9AQ • Google Maps

Spanish tapas. Michelin bib gourmand since 2014. Book ahead.

01962 732262 • pulponegro.co.uk

The Flower Pots Brewery

Brandy Mount, Cheriton, SO24 0QQ • Google Maps

A little further out but charming place for a drink on a sunny day.

01962 771735 • theflowerpots.co.uk/brewery

Walks

Hampshire is renowned for its idyllic public bridleways and footpaths. The local area offers a range of different walks for all abilities, here are a couple of local ones that might take your interest.

Vineyard Walk

Starting at The Wagons • About 20 mins • Short circular route

Walk around the outskirts of Hattingley Valley vineyard. Turn right out of Plum Cottage. After a few hundred metres, note the overgrown pond on your right — you will see a track and a wooden kissing gate. Pass through this and you will reach another gate. Go through the gate and keep going (keep to the left of the field) until the next gate then turn right. Follow the path along the field and vineyard until you reach a metal semi-circular gate at the road and take a right heading up a chalky hill which will bring you up and around the vineyard and back to the Wagon.

Field and vineyard walk to Medstead

Starting at The Wagons • About 30 minutes • Linear walk

This is our beautiful off-road walk to the pub! Turn right out the drive. Past the overgrown pond take a right turn through a wooden kissing gate, stick to the left of the field (there may be cattle in these fields) and through two more kissing gates. Turn left just after the third gate and walk through the field sticking to the left, through two tall metal gates (the vineyard). Keep walking along the top left of the field until you reach a stile and a road. Turn left over the stile until you reach a T-junction, then right and you will see The Castle of Comfort on your left, then St. Mary’s Church. Medstead village green and corner shop is just a little further ahead.

The Oxdrove Way

Starting at The Wagons • 25 miles in its entirety • Figure of 8 walk • Varied terrain

From Lower Wield to just beyond Itchen Abbas. The Oxdrove Way is a lovley walk to Alresford if you're looking for a longer walk. Turn left out of Plum Cottage, then right at Heath Green Lane. Walk along the road until it turns sharply right with a barn on the left. The gravel road on the left is the Ox Drove Way. A lovely cycle route for those with mountain bikes.

Woodland Walk

Starting at The Horse Hut • 20 mins • 2 miles

If you fancy a nice stroll there is a lovely local woodland walk. Turn left out the drive, then on your right you will find a track/footpath where you can walk along the woodland tracks.

Chawton Park Wood

Starting at The Horse Hut or drive to Chawton Wood Car Park

Good if you are looking for a more decent walk. Turn left out the drive, continue straight, crossing at the crossroads. Chawton Park Woods is at the top of Red Hill Road. Or it’s a quick drive and they have parking. A great place to visit and walk before you arrive at the horse hut if you want to head to the area earlier.

Wildlife

At night you may well hear the owls calling (tawny and barn are most common, but little owl sightings are not rare). We had some tawny’s roost in the woods by the Wagons not long ago and subsequently hosted some beautiful fluffy little owlets.

Partridges, pheasants, wood pigeons and a variety of birds of prey can be spotted circling overhead; red kites, sparrowhawks and buzzards to name a few. You may sometimes see foxes, badgers, red, roe and muntjac deer in the surrounding fields and plentiful hares.

At the Wagons, hares live in the wooded area in the middle of the field and can often be spotted out and about early morning. We also encourage wildlife by putting up bat and bird boxes and leave rotting stumps and piles of sticks for bug havens. The wildflower meadows are intentionally maintained to attract a variety of species of bees and butterflies and contain wild orchids seen in early summer.

We are very blessed in Hampshire to be home to 46 of the UK’s 61 species of butterfly, so keep your eyes peeled in the spring to summer months for the chalk-hill blue, fritillaries, peacock, purple emperor, brown argus, skippers and many more when walking on country footpaths.