About Hampshire
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About Hampshire
Hampshire is an attractive county, covering a large and diverse area embracing the New Forest, the towns and cities of the South Coast and a varied rural landscape.
View a picture tour of Hampshire
Attractive countrysideOver a third of Hampshire is covered by the New Forest National Park and four Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. A further 13% consists of Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Coast and riversThe Solent and its associated rivers are among Hampshire's greatest assets, home to Cowes Week, the BT Global Challenge round-the-world yacht race, and the Volvo Ocean Race. The world renowned International Boat Show is held every September in Southampton.
The Test and Itchen rivers are internationally renowned for the quality of their fishing, and in the Hampshire borders area the Basingstoke Canal has been restored to provide an important leisure space.
Sporting eventsThere are also a host of world class sports, including international cricket and premiership football, which attract a large number of visitors.
Fascinating historyWinchester is an unspoilt cathedral city on the edge of the South Downs. It is England's ancient capital and former seat of King Alfred the Great.
Just over the Wiltshire border, ancient Salisbury also has a magnificent medieval cathedral and is close to the world heritage site of Stonehenge.
A rich mix of visitor attractionsThere are over 150 visitor attractions in Hampshire ranging from the internationally renowned - such as Winchester Cathedral, HMS Victory and Beaulieu National Motor Museum - to many smaller attractions. One of Hampshire's strengths is its literary heritage (Jane Austen, Charles Dickens and Gilbert White all lived here) and there is significant interest in military history.
AccommodationOver the past few years the quality of accommodation has vastly improved and Hampshire provides some reputable and internationally recognised hotels.
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