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Love is in the air in February with the most romantic date of the year coming up on Valentine’s Day.
This year, Cupid’s arrow is aimed at Tuesday 14 February 2023, and we’ve got some dreamy ideas for how to say I heart you in Hampshire.
Read on for our gorgeous guide to Valentine’s Day in the county.
1. Go hand in hand on a Hampshire walk
Step out together for a romantic walk with your loved one or spread the love and invite friends and family along too.
Walking is a wholesome and budget friendly way to spend time together, and if the weather is fair, why not pack a picnic to make it extra special.
See the full guide to walks in Hampshire
2. Book a table for two
Candle-lit ambience at the ready, if you’re the traditional type then you can’t beat a charming Valentine’s Day dinner at a romantic restaurant.
The 600-year-old grade II listed Chesil Rectory in Winchester has so many cosy corners that it has been voted one of the most romantic restaurant’s in the UK by the Times. Make your date extra special with a pre or post-dinner wander around the free Winchester Enchanted Light Garden in Abbey Gardens which will be lit up with beautiful light displays each evening between the 11 February and 5 March 2023.
Say Te Quiero with tapas in Alresford with Michelin bib gourmand restaurant Pulpo Negro in where the candlelit cellar bar will transport you to the bodegas of Spain.
For seafood, sample the fruits de mer at The Jetty Ocean Village in Southampton. For the ultimate marina-side atmosphere, make it a double date with friends and reserve a jetty pod right on the water's edge.
See more restaurants in Hampshire
3. Cook up a romantic meal
Cook up a storm together at a Hampshire cookery school and recreate the dishes for a romantic meal home.
The Season cookery school at Lainston House near Winchester has state-of-the-art kitchen facilities where you can learn from award-winning and Michelin starred chefs using ingredients from the kitchen garden. On the class menu for the start of 2023 is plant-based cooking and Italian classics.
Hampshire Chef James Martin is behind The Kitchen at Chewton Glen, a superb cookery school at the 5 star New Forest hotel with February classes including South East Asian street food and Spanish tapas.
Or if your sweetheart has a sweet tooth, try making your own chocolates together with a Chocolate Craft workshop.
Find out more about Hampshire cookery schools
4. Say cheers with the finest fizz
Raise a glass to each other and sample some of England’s, and the world’s, very best sparkling and white wine from a vineyard in Hampshire.
Discover England’s oldest vineyard and savour some award-winning bubbles with a vineyard tour and tasting at Hambledon Vineyard or delight in a Chocolate & Wine Night at Quob Park in Wickham.
Discover vineyards in Hampshire
5. Have a dreamy night away
Spend some quality time together with a night away to a Hampshire hotel.
Enter the fairytale gates of the beautiful country hotel Lainston House on the outskirts of Winchester and be enchanted for the weekend by the hotel’s elegant comforts and its stunning surrounding countryside.
Tuck yourself away in Southampton’s medieval walls and enjoy a city break at The Pig-in the Wall, the smallest retreat in the luxurious litter of The Pig’s chic hotel collection.
Or escape to the great outdoors of north Hampshire at the Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire for some country pursuits in the property’s 500 acre estate before unwinding in the incredible spa.
Read our full guide to romantic breaks in Hampshire
6. Share the love of flowers
February is prime snowdrop season and there are plenty of places to see those stunning blankets of white flowers in Hampshire.
Chawton House holds dedicated Snowdrop Sundays in February for visitors to take in the carpets of pretty white buds popping up in the grounds.
Gilbert White’s House & Gardens has so many of the beautiful blooms that it holds an annual celebration of the snowdrop; this year it takes place just in time for Valentine’s Day on 11 and 12 February 2023.
And near Romsey, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens has over 20 different varieties of snowdrops dotted throughout one of the largest winter gardens in Europe.
Find out more about gardens in Hampshire
7. Aim your own Cupid’s arrow
Become Cupid for the day with a couple’s archery experience with New Forest Activities. The outdoor adventure experience company offers a range of water and land-based activities specifically for couples, perfect to create wonderful memories together in the beautiful New Forest surroundings.
Find out more about New Forest Activities
8. Love is in the Air at the Spinnaker Tower
Love is in the air this February at the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth with a special Valentine’s evening of dining 100 metres above the city looking out across romantic views of the night sky and sparkling harbour lights on Friday 10 February.
And for guaranteed smiles all round, there are two Comedy at the Tower Valentine’s Specials on 10 and 14 February.
Find out more about Love is in the Air at the Spinnaker Tower
Find out more about Comedy at the Tower Valentine’s Specials
9. Shake things up at the Bombay Sapphire Distillery
Create some couple’s cocktails with a visit to the boutique botanical home of Bombay Sapphire near Whitchurch.
Depart on a journey to become a gin connoisseur with the Discovery Experience or choose the Cocktail Experience to learn the tricks of the bar trade in an interactive masterclass where mixology meets cocktail curation and creation.
Find out more about the Bombay Sapphire Distillery
10. Treat your valentine to a ticket
Make the Valentine’s Day romance last a little longer by buying a ticket for a date to look forward to in 2023.
Why not gift a day out at a Hampshire attraction or look forward to a special event together like tickets to one of Hampshire’s 2023 festivals.
See what events are on in Hampshire this Valentine’s Day
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Related
Dating back to 1450, this beautifully preserved city landmark, located in central Winchester, serves modern British classics.
Sister to the multi-award-winning restaurant in Christchurch, The Jetty, on the Southampton Harbour Hotel’s ground-floor, specialises in fresh seafood, caught daily by local fisherman, served with locally-grown, seasonal ingredients from the New Forest. Expect nothing less than exceptional food and wine from renowned local chef Alex Aitken.
A charming 17th century William and Mary country house standing elegantly in 63 acres of Hampshire parkland. Delicate archways and loggias frame the picture perfect entrance and a small amble reveals a beautiful 12th century chapel ruin.
An English Original, Chewton Glen is a luxury country house hotel and spa set in 130 acres of Hampshire countryside on the edge of the New Forest National Park, and just a few minutes' walk from the sea.
Chocolate Craft are an award-winning chocolate company producing handcrafted chocolates for customers throughout the UK, including Fortnum & Mason and offer chocolate making workshops.
The award winning vineyard in the South Downs National Park, Hambledon is open for tours throughout the year.
Quob Park offers a range of tours, tastings and events, and through its wine merchant brand, Great Cellar, offers a Wine Club membership with significant discounts and priority access for all offerings, including wine, food boxes, vintage bar box hire, Wine & Pairings experiences and luxury stays.
THE PIG – in the wall is a boutique hotel within Southampton’s medieval walls. Stay the night or pop in for a bite to eat.
This Georgian manor house, set in 500 acres of rolling grounds and English Heritage listed gardens, offers the upmost in luxury and relaxation, just an hour from London.
Come and explore the Chawton House Gardens on this special Snowdrop Sunday, supporting the National Gardens Scheme, and spot the hundreds of snowdrops that will carpet the grounds. A symbol of hope, snowdrops signal that spring is just around the corner and the dark, cold days of winter are soon to disappear.
Located in Selborne, a stunning corner of the South Downs National Park, Gilbert White’s 17th century home is now a museum open to visitors. Museum highlights include, the original manuscript of ‘The Natural History of Selborne’, White’s 18th century floral embroidered bed covers and White’s taxidermy hawfinch.
The magnificent Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is world famous for its arboretum and gardens – set over 180 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside; this garden is stunning whatever the season.
New Forest Activities offer a variety of safe and enjoyable activities for families, couples, individuals and groups of all ages and abilities led by expert outdoor instructors. For tours with a difference, take to the water with Canoeing and Kayaking on the Beaulieu River Nature Reserve.
Spend Valentines night sharing a platter of delicious treats with your loved one, with views out to the night sky and sparkling harbour lights from Emirates Spinnaker Tower. This evening High Tea experience will include warm savoury bites, indulgent mini deserts and a glass of prosecco each.
The Bombay Sapphire Distillery based at Laverstoke Mill in rural Hampshire, just 15 miles from Winchester and 10 miles from Basingstoke. The Distillery is in a conservation area with over 1000 years of history. The distillery showcases the care, skill and artistry behind every drop of Bombay Sapphire, and allows you to discover the flavours of the botanicals which make Bombay Sapphire gin so unique.
