Low Season bargains at Little Cottage New Forest
2022-23 winter Low Season update (at 18 Apr 2022):
Little
Cottage is already well booked in 2022. There are autumn
weeks starting 30 Sep and 21 Oct available; and low season weeks
from 25 Nov to 23 Dec 2022.
There's
usually availability from Jan to mid-March 2023 with excellent
value breaks, and plenty to do in the low season - and you'll get
more peace and quiet than in summer. 2023 can already be
pre-reserved for free - contact New Forest Cottages. In the
quietest weeks of low season there is sometimes late availability
for short breaks - bookable within four weeks of
arrival.
Little
Cottage itself is the ideal cosy and comfortable cottage in cooler
weather. It has thick cob walls, new double glazing, lined
curtains, loft insulation as well as thick thatch, full gas central
heating, electric blankets, and a plinth heater in the kitchen.
There’s a fully equipped kitchen with electric oven, gas hob,
microwave, contact grill, espresso machine, toaster, dishwasher,
and big fridge-freezer. And the Cottage has a 40” HD smart TV and
Blu-ray/DVD player, reclining chairs and a sofa, a desk with
superfast broadband and full Wi-Fi, two DAB/FM radios
and a music centre with CD-player, IPod, mp3 and USB connections,
phone with free outgoing UK landline and mobile calls, a stock of
books – both local and global, CDs and DVDs; a TV with remote &
DVD player in the bedroom, and even a box of rainy-day games and
more DVDs.
The adjacent strip between
the forest and the coast boasts an amazing range of good value
restaurants: Verveine (the top New Forest
Restaurant), Gordleton
Mill, La
Perle and Pebble Beach are all close and
the most popular with guests. Many others including The Drift
Inn, The
Terrace and The George
all get good reports, and newer additions like Cambium
and The
Elderflower and Burley
Manor are also recommended.
The climate in the New Forest is mild – hopefully over a week you would get at least a few dry and/or bright days at any time – and in fact dry autumn days, crisp winter days and fine spring days are some of the best times in the New Forest.
All
through the low season many of the attractions are open and well
worth a visit on all but the most dismal days – and many of these
are less crowded and offer better deals or availability than at any
other time. Outdoor or partly-outdoor examples include:
secluded forest walks, Buckler’s Hard, Exbury Gardens, golf,
majestic coastal walks, more bargains and fewer crowds at outdoor
markets. New Forest
Cottages have some rainy-day suggestions
There are fabulous New Forest pubs - with locally-sourced home-made food, roaring log fires and where walkers are welcome and dogs are usually welcome (often except into formal restaurant areas). Top recommended pubs include: The Filly Inn, Setley; The Hare & Hounds in nearby Sway; The Royal Oak, Fritham (food only at lunch time); The Red Lion, Boldre; The Drift Inn at Beaulieu ROAD (not Beaulieu); The Plough Inn, close by in Tiptoe and The White Hart in Pennington. In low season they are not as busy.
There are excellent tea rooms in the area: Rosie Lea Tea House and Bakery in Brockenhurst is a top Hampshire winner, Holmsley Station Tea Rooms are excellent and nearby. The new Rosie Lea Kitchen at Setley; Hockey's Farm Cafe; and Steff's Kitchen in Fairweather's Beaulieu all get good reports. Braxton Gardens is famous for muffins; and BakeHouse24 in Ringwood is getting good reviews.
At least a
couple of different varieties of good local takeaways deliver to
the door, including
Fanelli's Pizza in New
Milton , Dream Gourmet Chinese, Thai and
Malayan and the new Haweli Indian (New
Milton).
To book: New Forest Cottages or ring 01590 679655
quoting Little Cottage A415.
Before Xmas, in the autumn there are fantastic autumn colours to be seen, any number of local ‘Craft Fayres’, fungi spotting or hunting, pigs are out on pannage (hoovering up acorns) usually from late September for a couple of months, the New Forest Walking Festival is usually the last half of October, it’s rutting season up at Bolderwood, and there are usually New Forest food and drink weeks in the autumn.
After Xmas and New Year is the best time for bargain deals at local restaurants - it’s their quietest time of the year so prices are low and attention and service are good. There are shopping bargains in the sales and the Brand New Forest discount card for the New Year is launched, crisp walks on frosty days, St. Valentine’s Day, you can volunteer for forestry work for part of a day (at short notice – ranger supervised and all tools supplied), and a great time to see the trees for the leaves, winter visiting birds and other wildlife – see also the BBC nature archived page
And for the wettest days there are outstanding local spa day offers at luxury hotels. There are wonderful restaurants offering good deals, excellent shopping in Lymington and even Bournemouth or Southampton, The New Forest Museum in Lyndhurst, St. Barbe Museum in Lymington, Beaulieu Motor Museum, Sammy Miller’s Motorbike Museum, Health Clubs, art centre exhibitions, indoor markets, local chocolate making, cooking lessons; and elegant Afternoon Teas in grand settings.