Royal Oak, Fritham

The Royal Oak is a New Forest institution which, apart from appearing in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for over five decades, has also been selected by other guides for awards, including being featured as another guide's 'Country Pub of the Year', and it was local CAMRA branch Pub of the Year 2016.

The pub is split into three rooms with old wooden beams and traditional paintings of the New Forest on the walls, that are kept warm by two large fireplaces. The bar serves six, mostly local, real ales and two real ciders on tap.

In good weather the huge garden can absorb almost limitless numbers but any sudden rain showers can result in the pub's inside becoming very crowded. Thankfully there is an enormous marquee in the yard alongside the pub. While many traditional values remain unchanged, the pub has kept up to date with some 21st century fads like taking card payments.

Legendary ploughman's lunches, home-made pork pies and quiche is served lunchtimes. No food is served in the evenings, but a pizza van calls on Thursdays and a fish & chip van on alternate Saturdays. In the summer there is an ice-cream kiosk in the garden.

In a field adjacent to the garden are three 'shepherd's bothies' for quiet, away-from-it-all accommodation, for full details see the website: newforestshepherdshuts.co.uk.

Cars may be parked on the public roadside or in the nearby Forest car parks (charges may apply); in either case beware of dips and potholes. Cycles must be left in a fenced off bike park in the garden.

Buses: X7 at Nomansland Crossroads from which a pleasant 3-4 mile walk can be devised. The Summer-only New Forest Tour bus can drop and pick up at Longcross (1¼ miles).