The best pubs in the New Forest for campers
· Updated
If you want one pub that sums up the New Forest, it is the Royal Oak at Fritham: a thatched, whitewashed alehouse with real ales served straight from the cask, no music, no fruit machines, and ponies grazing right up to the door. It is the sort of proper country pub most of the others in this guide are measured against.
The New Forest is small enough that you can walk or drive between a dozen good pubs in a long weekend, and almost all of them sit within a few minutes of a campsite. Below are the ones worth planning a trip around, what each is good for, and how to reach them without upsetting the ponies.
This is part of our guide to camping in the UK's national parks, and it comes from Camping Sites in Britain, where you can find and compare campsites across the Forest and the rest of the country.
The best New Forest pubs at a glance
Here are eight pubs that consistently earn their reputation, grouped by what you are actually after on the day.
| Pub | Village | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Royal Oak | Fritham | Cask ale, no frills, walkers and dogs |
| High Corner Inn | Linwood | Deep-forest setting, families, big garden |
| The Oak Inn | Bank, near Lyndhurst | Ponies at the door, a proper lunch |
| The Trusty Servant | Minstead | Village pub, handy for Furzey Gardens |
| Turf Cutters Arms | East Boldre | Old-fashioned local near Beaulieu |
| The Fleur de Lys | Pilley | History, one of Hampshire's oldest inns |
| Sir Walter Tyrrell | Near the Rufus Stone | Family garden, walks from the door |
| The Pig | Brockenhurst | Kitchen-garden dining, a special meal out |
Traditional forest pubs with real character
These are the pubs people mean when they talk about the old Forest. The Royal Oak at Fritham is the standard bearer: three small rooms, log fires, ales tapped from the barrel, and simple food like pork pies, pasties and ploughman's rather than a long menu. It backs onto open heath, so you can arrive on foot across the commons and tie the dog up outside.
The High Corner Inn at Linwood sits at the end of a gravel track deep in the woods, which keeps the casual passing trade away and the atmosphere calm. It has a large garden, room for children to run about, and enough space that it copes well with a busy summer Sunday.
The Oak Inn at Bank, just south of Lyndhurst, is the one where free-roaming ponies and pigs genuinely wander up to the picnic tables. It is a firm favourite with walkers coming off the nearby inclosures, and the lunch is a cut above standard pub fare.
Out east, the Turf Cutters Arms at East Boldre is a low-beamed village local near Beaulieu that has kept its old-fashioned feel, while the Trusty Servant at Minstead anchors one of the prettiest villages in the Forest and is a five-minute drive from Furzey Gardens. Both are the kind of unhurried spot where a quiet pint turns into a long lunch.
Pubs with a bit of history
A few Forest pubs come with genuine age and a story attached. The Fleur de Lys at Pilley claims to be one of the oldest inns in Hampshire, with records of a licence stretching back to the late 1400s, and it looks the part with its thatch and heavy timbers.
The Sir Walter Tyrrell stands near the Rufus Stone, the monument marking the spot where King William II, known as William Rufus, was killed by an arrow while hunting in 1100. Sir Walter Tyrrell was the knight blamed for loosing it. The pub has a big family garden and walking trails leading straight off it into the trees, which makes it an easy afternoon with children.
These sit at the older end of the Forest's ancient landscape. If that history appeals, our guide to the best campsites for exploring ancient woodlands covers where to pitch for the oldest trees.
Where to go for a proper meal
For a special dinner rather than a pint, head to The Pig near Brockenhurst. It is a restaurant with rooms rather than a traditional boozer, built around a walled kitchen garden that supplies much of the menu, and it books up well ahead. Treat it as the grown-up night out on a family trip rather than the daily local.
Plenty of the traditional pubs above also do good food, so you rarely need to choose between character and a decent plate. The Oak Inn and the High Corner Inn in particular manage both.
Ponies, pigs and pannage: read the Forest before you sit down
The animals wandering around the pub car park are not a novelty laid on for visitors; they are working commoners' livestock with the legal right to roam. Around 5,000 ponies and cattle graze the open Forest freely, and in autumn you will also meet pigs.
That autumn turnout is pannage, or common of mast: for a set period each year, commoners release pigs to eat fallen acorns, which are poisonous to ponies in quantity. The Verderers of the New Forest fix the dates annually, usually starting in September and running for a minimum of 60 days. It is one of the oldest surviving rights in the country and worth timing a trip around if you want to see it.
Do not feed or pet the animals, however friendly they look. Feeding draws them onto roads and car parks and gets them killed, and it is actively discouraged by Forestry England and the commoners who own them.
Getting there without drinking and driving
The single most important rule in the Forest is do not drink and drive, and here it is a safety point rather than a slogan. The lanes are unfenced, ponies, donkeys and cattle stand in the road day and night, and animals are killed by vehicles across the Forest every year. A 40mph limit applies across most of the open Forest for exactly this reason.
The best answer is to walk. Many campsites sit within strolling distance of a good pub, and the Forest's flat, well-marked tracks make pub-to-pub walks genuinely easy. If you must drive, sort a designated driver, go slowly, and take extra care at dawn, dusk and after dark when the animals are hardest to see. If you would rather plan the roads in, our guide to the best scenic drives to campsites is a useful companion.
Are New Forest pubs dog and family friendly?
Yes, overwhelmingly. This is walking-pub country, and most of the pubs above welcome dogs in the bar or garden and keep a water bowl by the door. The Royal Oak, the Oak Inn and the High Corner Inn are all reliable with a muddy dog in tow.
Families are just as well catered for. The High Corner Inn and the Sir Walter Tyrrell have big gardens and space for children, and most Forest pubs serve food from lunchtime through the afternoon, which suits camping days that do not run to a timetable. Check individual opening hours before a long walk, as some smaller pubs close in the afternoon midweek.
Where to camp near the pubs
The New Forest has some of the most atmospheric campsites in England, and several sit within walking distance of the pubs in this guide. Camping in the Forest runs a cluster of open, spacious sites inside the National Park, including Roundhill near Brockenhurst, Ashurst near Lyndhurst, and Ocknell close to Fritham, which puts the Royal Oak within reach on foot.
These Forest sites are deliberately simple, with grass pitches, ponies wandering through, and often no electric hookup, so they suit tents and self-contained vans best. They book up fast for summer weekends and school holidays, so reserve early. You can browse and compare pitches across the region in our campsite listings to find the right base for your pub crawl on foot.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best pub in the New Forest?
For traditional character, the Royal Oak at Fritham is the standout: a thatched pub with cask ales served from the barrel, no music, and heath on the doorstep. For a family day out, the High Corner Inn at Linwood or the Sir Walter Tyrrell are hard to beat.
Which New Forest pubs are dog friendly?
Most of them. The Royal Oak at Fritham, the Oak Inn at Bank and the High Corner Inn at Linwood all welcome dogs in the bar or garden, as do the majority of traditional Forest pubs. It is genuine walking-pub country.
Why are there ponies and pigs at New Forest pubs?
They are commoners' livestock with the legal right to roam the open Forest freely. Ponies and cattle graze year round, and pigs are turned out each autumn during pannage to eat fallen acorns, which are toxic to ponies in quantity. Do not feed them.
Can you walk between pubs in the New Forest?
Yes, and it is the best way to do it. The Forest's flat, well-marked tracks link many villages and campsites, so you can pub-hop on foot and avoid driving on unfenced lanes where animals stand in the road. Do not drink and drive here.
Where can I camp near New Forest pubs?
Camping in the Forest runs sites inside the National Park, including Roundhill near Brockenhurst, Ashurst near Lyndhurst and Ocknell near Fritham. Most have simple grass pitches and fill up fast in summer, so book ahead.
The short version
Start at the Royal Oak at Fritham, add the Oak Inn and the High Corner Inn for character and a garden, and save The Pig for a proper dinner. Pitch at one of the Camping in the Forest sites, walk to the pub rather than drive, and leave the ponies and pigs well alone.
Do that and you have the Forest at its best. Plan the rest of the trip with our guide to camping in the UK's national parks, or find your pitch in the campsite listings.
