Stockbridge

The pretty Hampshire town of Stockbridge lies midway between Andover and Romsey in the stunning Test Valley.

The lovely chalk streams of the upper River Test, famed for its excellent fly-fishing, flow through and around the town and it’s here you’ll find the Houghton Fishing Club, the oldest fishing club in England based at the Grosvenor Hotel in the High Street.  

In the 1700s, Stockbridge was a “rotten borough” and the town hall, now being refurbished, was given to the local voters as a bribe!  The wide sweep of Stockbridge High Street reflects its former role as a through-route for drovers bringing their sheep and cattle from Wales but now the street is home to popular tea rooms, pubs and restaurants and a tempting choice of independent, specialist shops.

If you enjoy poetry, the beauty of Stockbridge has also inspired many writers and there’s a poetry trail of ten poems, set in stone, metal and glass, around the town centre. It’s hard to believe that in the 1700s, Stockbridge was a “rotten borough” and the town hall, now being refurbished, was given to the local voters as a bribe! 

The Test Valley is famed for its rolling hills and tranquil beauty and not far from Stockbridge you’ll find many picturesque Hampshire villages with their thatched houses, pretty churches and traditional country pubs as well as the spectacular Test Way.

Stockbridge is also close to attractions such as the wonderful house and gardens at Mottisfont Abbey, Houghton Lodge, Longstock Water Gardens, Danebury Hill Fort and the Museum of Army Flying.