The Greyhound on the Test Hotel, Hampshire

I'm constantly saying that I should do weekends away in the UK more often. It's no secret that London has been driving me a bit nuts recently, so before heading off on my Big Trip, I spent a weekend in Hampshire, checking in at The Greyhound on the Test.


The hotel sits on its own stretch of the River Test and is also a gastropub which was full of weekend lunch parties when we arrived on a Saturday afternoon. With perilously low ceilings (my 6ft 3 boyfriend smacked his head on a beam within seconds of us being there), I cautiously made my way through the bar and up to my room. There was the expected feel of a country cottage, but with much more contemporary decor.

It was the small design features in the room that I loved. From the sleek white tea set to the tasteful nod to country pursuits on the lamp, it was subtle, with muted tones and strong patterns on soft furnishings to stop it becoming too heritage. There was even a couple of copies of Vogue to settle in an armchair with.

The hotel is in Stockbridge, a tiny town in Hampshire with one road running through it and a selection of shops that cater to its affluent residents. Being on a river, there were fishing shops aplenty and a nice walk along one side, which I did while indulging in a sausage sandwich from the local bakery.

With no noise, pitch black and a huge bed, I slept like a dream. Or maybe it was the country air. Either way, a weekend out of London needs to indulged in much more regularly.