logo
5 of the prettiest Hampshire villages you can visit for a day out in the county

5 of the prettiest Hampshire villages you can visit for a day out in the county

Yahoo08-06-2025
Hampshire is a gorgeous county that has an abundance of pretty villages to explore for a day out.
Many of these have beautiful scenery, amazing cultural experiences and historical points of interest to take in.
Some may even have the benefit of a beach or woodland to explore, alongside some amazing food and drink options.
With the overwhelming amount of choice, it might be tough to pin down what the prettiest village in Hampshire is.
Here are just five examples of some gorgeous Hampshire villages you can visit for a day out in the county.
If you're looking for chocolate-box pretty, then Beaulieu definitely lives up to the hype.
Nestled in the heart of the New Forest, you can explore characterful streets as well as the nearby motor museum.
The New Forest website adds: "Visitors can explore the scenic landscapes across Millpond, at Beaulieu River and in the surrounding forest, discover the village's heritage, and enjoy attractions and outdoor activities, all while soaking in the timeless charm of this quintessential New Forest gem.
"Whether it's enjoying a riverside picnic, exploring the charming High Street or visiting the incredible motor museum, the village of Beaulieu provides a great day out."
On the outskirts of the Southampton suburbs, you can find Hamble which is said to boast "stunning views, period cottages, pretty walks and thriving wildlife".
Visit Hampshire adds: "During the summer months you will find the village bustling with people enjoying the fine selection of local pubs and restaurants.
"For a small village, there is a great selection of eateries which specialise in locally produced food, ale and specialist rum."
It is also a "a yachting Mecca" drawing people in from all around the country for races and events.
Another New Forest favourite is Brockenhurst is a "bustling village" that is a great base to explore the surrounding area.
There are numerous walking and cycle paths to try out and "excellent local amenities" with its pubs, cafes and restaurants.
Visit Hampshire adds: "Here you will find ponies and donkeys roaming free in an old world setting full of charm."
Wherwell is said to be "one of the most picturesque villages in the Test Valley", according to the Hampshire County Council website.
It boasts some fine black-and-white thatched cottages, and it is situated on the banks of the River Test, which is known for its trout fishing.
Described as a "picturesque" village by Visit Hampshire, this spot is surrounded by the beauty of the South Downs National Park.
Recommended reading:
The one place people need to visit when they go to Hampshire according to readers
The tiny and beautiful Hampshire village where TV chef James Martin has lived
New Forest hotel ranked among best of the best in Tripadvisor awards
There is a sense of history to the place due to a number of ancient buildings found there, such as the Norman Church of All Saints.
The website adds: "The village has a shop with Post Office facilities, a number of Bed and Breakfast establishments, and two pubs, Ye Olde George and The Izaak Walton (named after the famous angler).
"The River Meon runs alongside the village street, with its spring source approximately one mile south of the village. The popular long distance footpath South Downs Way also passes nearby."
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

13 Best Hotels in the Dolomites, Italy's Charming Mountain Region
13 Best Hotels in the Dolomites, Italy's Charming Mountain Region

Condé Nast Traveler

time27 minutes ago

  • Condé Nast Traveler

13 Best Hotels in the Dolomites, Italy's Charming Mountain Region

Located in the heart of the Dolomites on the Alpe di Siusi—the highest Alpine plateau in Europe—in winter, its ski-in, ski-out location offers direct access to the pistes, and in summer, South Tyrol's flower-flecked network of hiking and biking trails. As you'd expect from the brand, wellness and spa is at its core with a health-forward COMO Shambala menu on offer, plus hearty Tyrolean and Italian fare—as well as excellent Alto Adige wines—for those who don't want to hold back. All of the wood-clad cozy rooms face the slopes and have a balcony or terrace. Valley-plucked apples and filtered bottles of still and sparkling water are left daily. It is reassuringly old school—a regular telephone with a windy cord gives you quick access to reception, and switches dim the lights (no pesky iPad here). The spa is, of course, a must—where treatments on offer include Deep Tissue, Indian head, Balinese and drainage massage alongside Tyrolean-skewed treatments. Their hay bath is an acquired taste—being sandwiched between two lots of hay is meant to improve circulation. Sauna is a serious operation here, with herbal and Finnish saunas and salt and aroma steams (get the etiquette right, there are no swimsuits allowed, towels are optional, and most go naked) with a convivial outdoor seating area in the snow where half-clad spa-goers chatter. In summer the hotel offers multiple activities including biking, hiking, climbing, trail running, paragliding, zip lining, lake/wild swimming, picnicking, and helicopter rides. —Jemima Sissons

The truth about the commission airline staff earn on booze, bag charges and scratch-cards
The truth about the commission airline staff earn on booze, bag charges and scratch-cards

Yahoo

time3 hours ago

  • Yahoo

The truth about the commission airline staff earn on booze, bag charges and scratch-cards

You don't need to watch one of those fly-on-the-wall documentaries to appreciate that working for an airline can be a stressful job – and one that isn't always handsomely compensated. In theory, then, most of us wouldn't begrudge the opportunity for staff to earn themselves a bonus for good performance. In reality, some bonuses can prove more contentious than you might expect, particularly when customers are kept in the dark about them. For a prime example, look at the comments earlier this summer from Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary – never one to avoid controversy – when he said he wanted to see ground staff given extra money in return for enforcing the airline's notoriously strict baggage rules. Naturally, the comments ruffled some feathers from those who fear the low cost carrier is tough enough with its allowances. Ryanair has since confirmed that its ground staff are already paid a small commission, reportedly around €1.50 per bag intercepted. 'That is likely to rise to €2.50 per bag in October,' says a Ryanair spokesman. 'We are determined to eliminate the scourge of oversized bags which delays our boarding process and annoys the 99.9 per cent of passengers who comply with the rules.' It certainly isn't the first time that Ryanair's 'incentives' have come under the spotlight. It's been known since the mid-2010s that cabin crew were being paid a commission on any on-board sales – including alcohol and scratch-cards – to help the airline make more money. There were also suggestions at the time that staff with lower sales figures were being given less choice over their roster – something that the airline denies. An American invention Like many things in the budget airline world, the practice was pioneered by American carriers, who have become notorious for badgering their passengers to sign up to airline credit cards. According to one Spirit staffer, cabin crew can receive as much as $70 when a customer successfully takes out one of their cards. Either way, these incentives have now become an essential part of the deal when working for low-cost carriers and charter airlines in particular. 'When I worked as cabin crew for a major charter airline, around 40 per cent of my earnings was made up of on-board sales commissions,' says Charlotte Crocker, a former flight attendant who now provides training to cabin crew. 'We would sell duty-free products, headsets, food, drinks and anything else that was available. We weren't put under a huge amount of pressure from the airline, but they would offer extra bonuses – like a pair of designer sunglasses or something similar – to the best sellers.' As for the current incentives, Ryanair pays 10 per cent on all in-flight sales, as does its competitor Wizz Air. There are also extra incentives for high performers: when travel writer Rob Crossan attended a Wizz training day for The Telegraph a few years ago, he found that top sellers were given more choice over which routes they worked, meaning they could pick the higher-spending flights. While commission is still a big deal, the pressure from above has eased up over the years, say insiders, partly due to the number of airlines scrambling to recruit cabin crew. Though the ongoing cost of living crunch means that staff have an extra incentive to earn their bonuses, particularly when the standard salary for low-cost airlines can be around £20,000 per year. As for the legacy carriers, the emphasis on bonuses is much smaller. 'On the short-haul flights you can get commission on food and drink sales, but it's generally a much smaller part of your pay,' says a British Airways staffer. 'It's not like Ryanair where people make money from the non-stop alcohol [sales].' Mixed messages It's all rather intriguing given the general push towards responsible drinking, with Michael O'Leary in particular emerging as an unlikely voice of moderation in recent years. Last year, he even called for airports to enforce a two-drink minimum to help prevent on-board misbehaviour. Though when you weigh up the economics of in-flight hospitality, it's not hard to see why Ryanair might take a slightly different approach towards its own alcohol sales. According to IATA, the global aviation trade body, European airlines generate an average profit of just £6.80 per passenger (indeed if you divide Ryanair's profits by its passenger numbers, you get a very similar number). Those kinds of margins mean that hospitality sales can make a sizeable difference, particularly with alcoholic drinks. According to US industry figures, airlines typically make around 50 per cent profit on every alcoholic drink they sell, not least as they aren't subject to the same taxation rules as restaurants and bars. Even if they pay a 10 per cent bonus to the staff member who sold the drinks, they're still making a healthy profit. As for the baggage fees, Ryanair currently charges up to £75 for each item of over-sized baggage that gets stopped at the gate. If ground staff get €1.50 (or £1.30) for each bag they intercept, they're still getting a much less generous deal than their cabin crew peers. Arguably, they're also doing the far tougher job of having to tell disgruntled customers they need to pay more. Interestingly, the idea of paying bonuses to ground staff gets a thumbs up from cabin crew too. 'Sometimes I think that ground staff don't bother about stopping people with larger bags as they don't want the trouble,' says a flight attendant with one full-service airline. 'But that creates problems for us on board when there isn't enough locker space to go around.' On the other hand, if ground staff had an extra incentive to enforce the rules then passengers would be less inclined to try their luck in the first place. It also means that those who have shelled out the extra cash in order to bring on board more luggage won't feel aggrieved for having wasted their money, they suggest. That's the thing about airline bonuses: we might not always like them, but they do tend to make sense – at least from the perspective of those responsible for keeping the industry moving in the first place. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword

Etna: A Project to Promote the Territory, Local Festivals and Traditions
Etna: A Project to Promote the Territory, Local Festivals and Traditions

Associated Press

time4 hours ago

  • Associated Press

Etna: A Project to Promote the Territory, Local Festivals and Traditions

The EU funds an initiative by the Local Action Group to showcase the Sicilian volcano CATANIA, ITALY, August 18, 2025 / / -- In Sicily, visiting the area of the GAL Etna — the Local Action Group — means immersing yourself in a world where time follows the rhythm of harvests, devotion to saints, and the fruits of the land, in a living sacredness that is bound to leave a lasting impression. Adrano, Belpasso, Biancavilla, Bronte, Catenanuova, Centuripe, Maletto, Maniace, Ragalna, Santa Maria di Licodia and Paternò: these are the eleven municipalities that make up the GAL consortium, offering a rich calendar of festivals and events that allow visitors to experience the very heart of this land — an ideal destination for cultural and experiential tourism. Every year, Mount Etna attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors. The goal now is to draw even more. To this end, the GAL has launched a project presented during a press conference. Documentaries, themed itineraries, and integrated communication campaigns are among the tools the Local Action Group is deploying to reach beyond Italy's borders and introduce the area to a growing number of people attracted by the unique experience offered by Europe's most active volcano — a journey that may be undertaken for countless reasons: from cuisine to culture, from nature to volcanic eruptions, from artistic heritage to deep-rooted traditions. Across the GAL Etna territory, another strong draw is the many expressions of popular devotion to local patron saints. In Maniace, the feast of Saint Sebastian stands out for the solemnity of the procession, with the wooden statue of the saint carried on the shoulders of the faithful through the streets, accompanied by songs and moments of prayer. In Belpasso, the feast of Saint Lucy engages the entire community in an evocative symbolic re-enactment: devotees wear traditional garments in black and white, while the streets fill with allegorical floats depicting scenes from the saint's life and rural culture. In Adrano, the famous 'Flight of the Angel' both moves and enchants — a boy or girl, suspended several metres above the ground and attached to a steel cable, glides across the main square, praying and scattering flowers in honour of Saint Nicolò Politi, the town's patron saint. During the Easter period, the entire GAL Etna area stages ancient rites in which popular expression is dedicated to the sacred. Adrano's Diavolata is a mid-18th-century performance held on Easter Sunday evening: the demons emerge from the mouth of hell — the crater of Mount Etna — and confront death and the Archangel Michael. Among the liveliest events of the year is Carnival. Religious and cultural celebrations are intertwined with a rich gastronomic heritage, making the GAL Etna territory a prime destination for food tourism. Many of these events also become local food festivals, where visitors can taste regional products, learn about their history, and meet their producers. Agenzia di Stampa ITALPRESS ITALPRESS +39 091 589674 email us here Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store