New Forest

[dubblebab]

Hi all, I am driving from London down to friends near Dorchester with an American family with their 9 year old and my 11 year old and one other American friend in about a week. Three of them have never been out of the U.S. so i want to show them nice places! On our drive down to friends near Dorchester I see we prob go through New Forest. I don't know these areas. I am more North of England Yorkshire Dales etc but don;t have time to take them so far. Can anyone suggest the most stunning things to do on our way from London to Dorchestet? Or when we get near Dorchester? Maybe a stop off for a pub lunch in New Forest. Please somewhere really gorgeous (not necessarily expensive but good looking and gorgeous countryside!) They aren't here long so i want to show them England can be v pretty. Gluten free option at the pub would be a plus! But most pubs would have something GF so not a priority. Thank you!

The New Forest is lovely if the weather is good. Go to Beaulieu and have a walk up the little High Street. There is a good garden centre cafe there, and a rather flash pub called the Montagu Arms. Donkeys wandering about all over the place, too.
If the weather is dodgy, consider a stop in Winchester. The cathedral is wonderful, and there are lots of little side streets to roam about. The Wykeham Arms is the pick of the pubs, but the Vine is good too. For mad British eccentricity, go to The Black Boy on Wharf Hill. No GF anything though!

Thanks Bamboo. that sounds lovely. We will be going along the M27. Are the villages near there cute? I think it;s on;y a half hour detour to Beaulieu bit fi there are cute places nearer our route, let me know. I;ve googled that flash pub and I like the sound of it!

It is a bit of a detour to Beaulieu, but the places closer to the M27 are not quite as scenic. If you don't want to go far off the M27, you could hit your guests with "lets go to Canada!" And take them to the Rockingham Arms at Canada Common. It's not in the middle of the forest, but drive to the end of the road where the pub is, and there are usually some animals roaming about.

A short detour off the M27 takes you to Brockenhurst which is lovely.

Yes, Brockenhurst would be good, and near the M27 is a place called Minstead. Pub there is the Trusty Servant, which is pretty good.

Burley is lovely, great fudge shop and lots of 'spiritual' type shops if you're into that sort of thing!