Royal Oak

The Royal Oak is a New Forest institution which, apart from appearing in CAMRA's Good Beer Guide for over four 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. 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. For much of the year extra covered space is provided in a marquee in the garden or in the yard alongside the pub. While many traditional values remain unchanged, the has kept up to date with some 21st century fads like taking card payments. While there is no food served in the evenings on most Thursday evenings there is a home-cooked supper in the winter months and a barbecue in fine summer ones. In the summer the garden also usually has an ice-cream kiosk. Outside in the garden area are three 'shepherd's bothies' for quiet, away-from-it-all accommodation, for full details see the website: www.newforestshepherdshuts.co.uk. A 'pop-up' farm shop can sometimes be found in the garden, with a good range of quality meats, cheeses, and even fishy products (e.g. trout pâté). The hours are flexible but weekends and weekday lunchtimes are a best bet of when to find it present and open.