Looking for a winter break near the New Forest that isn't a chain hotel? The Compasses Inn is a Tudor country pub with rooms in the village of Damerham, near Fordingbridge. Here's how to spend a slow winter weekend with us: muddy walks by day, a fire and a curry by night, and a proper bed (dog included) at the end of it.
Stay: dog-friendly rooms in a historic inn
The Compasses has welcomed travellers since Tudor times, when it had its own brewery, coach house and dairy. Today our rooms are individually designed and en-suite, with fresh towels, good bedding, high-speed wi-fi and a full breakfast in the morning.
Every room is dog-friendly, so there's no need to leave anyone at home. Travelling as a family or a group? Our two cottages, Blue Charm and White Wing, have their own kitchens and lounges and sit just across from the pub garden.
Winter is the best-value time to stay: our rooms are heavily discounted through the colder months. Prices vary by date, so check the dates you want on our Stay page.
Eat: two menus, one fireside
Winter is when our kitchen comes into its own. You can choose between two menus.
Our Nepalese Gurkha kitchen. Chef Nirmal cooks authentic Nepalese dishes, from momos and slow-cooked curries to sizzlers from the tandoor. It's the dish guests mention most in their reviews, and the reason people drive out from Salisbury and Ringwood on a cold night.
Pub classics and bistro. Soup with crusty bread, Scotch eggs, burgers, fish and chips and a proper Sunday roast. Our fish comes from just 400 yards away, and our herbs come from the walled kitchen garden behind the inn.
Festive menu, 25 November to 23 December. Our festive set menu starts with a glass of prosecco on arrival: two courses for £29.95 or three for £34.95, pre-booking only. Think turkey ballotine with all the trimmings, sticky pork ribs and banoffee pie. On Christmas Day we serve a five-course lunch with a glass of champagne on arrival, £99.95 per adult and £45.95 per child. See the Food & Drink page for the menu.
We'll happily adapt dishes for vegetarian, gluten-free and other dietary needs. Just let us know when you book.
Explore: what to do nearby in winter
Walk Martin Down. A short drive away, Martin Down National Nature Reserve is 342 hectares of open chalk downland criss-crossed with ancient earthworks. The views are wide, the paths are easy to follow, and dogs are welcome. There's free parking off the A354. Cranborne Chase publishes circular routes from Martin Down if you want a longer loop.
Christmas in Salisbury. The cathedral city is 13 miles away. From 20 November to 31 December, Christmas on the Square fills Guildhall Square, and on Sundays (29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December) there are festive markets in the Market Place. Add the Christmas Trail around the city centre, Salisbury Cathedral and its Magna Carta, and you have an easy day out.
Stargazing on our doorstep. Damerham sits in Cranborne Chase, an International Dark Sky Reserve, one of the darkest places in southern England. Winter is the best season for it: long, dark evenings and the winter constellations rising in the east. Wrap up, walk a few minutes from the village lights, and look up.
The New Forest. Ponies, heathland and forest walks are all within a short drive. Head out for the morning, then come back for lunch.
Fishing the chalk streams. Damerham Fishery is a short walk down the lane, on the Allen chalk stream.
A winter weekend, sorted
Friday: arrive, drop the bags, and settle in by the fire with a pint of local ale and a Nepalese curry.
Saturday: a full breakfast, then a morning walk on Martin Down. In the afternoon, head to Christmas on the Square in Salisbury. Back for dinner, then step outside for the stars.
Sunday: a slow breakfast, the Sunday festive market in Salisbury if it's on, and a Sunday roast before you head home.
Plan your stay
Rooms can be booked on our Stay page, and tables by calling 01725 518231. We're on the edge of the New Forest and Cranborne Chase, near Fordingbridge and 13 miles from Salisbury. Bring your boots, bring the dog, and we'll keep the fire going.