Explore Hampshire

Winchester has plenty to keep its visitors busy but there is so much more to explore beyond the city.

Winchester’s central location makes it the perfect base for exploring Hampshire region. Hampshire is a lovely region with countryside and destinations including Southampton, the New Forest and Portsmouth.

New Forest

Created in March 2005, the New Forest National Park lies mainly in south-west Hampshire – from east of the Avon Valley to Southampton Water and from the Solent coast to the edge of the Wiltshire chalk downs. The New Forest National Park is the eighth national park in England and the first in the south-east of England. The New Forest is a lively landscape and a genuine paradise for nature lovers and experts.

Southampton

Southampton is a vibrant, modern city and is the largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Southampton is a major port and one of the largest commercial ports in Europe. The city is an historic town rich in history and offering treasures of English heritage such as the longest surviving stretch of medieval walls in England, the Tudor House Museum, God's House Tower, the Medieval Merchant's House, a Titanic Memorial Museum and much more.

Portsmouth

Portsmouth is the second largest city in the county of Hampshire on the south coast of England and the UK’s only island city, which is mainly located on Portsea Island. Portsmouth used to be and still is a naval port and offers fascinating places to visit including the Historic Dockyard, home to the famous ship, HMS Victory. There is also a thriving commercial ferry port serving destinations on the continent for freight and passenger traffic.