Excellence Luxury Villas · Hampshire
Luxury Holiday Houses in Hampshire
Forest cottages, Solent houses with sea views and country manors, an easy run from London
As featured in
Ancient forest, chalk streams and the busiest sailing water in England
Hampshire hides its best side from anyone who only knows it from the M3. Turn off and you find the New Forest, where ponies wander across the lanes. There are clear chalk streams such as the Test and the Itchen, famous among fly fishermen, and Winchester, the old capital of Wessex, where Jane Austen lies buried in the cathedral. To the south lies the Solent, the stretch of water between the mainland and the Isle of Wight, crowded with sails all summer.
Our Hampshire collection runs to 50+ properties. You will find thatched and brick cottages in the Forest, family houses looking over the water at Hamble, Southsea and Hayling Island, and country manors with pools, tennis courts and gardens, the largest with 21 bedrooms.
Below, a short guide to the county's corners and when each is at its best.
Hampshire at a glance
- Houses
- 50+ houses, cottages and manors, with up to 21 bedrooms
- Guide prices
- Typically £2,100 to £5,700 a week, from around £1,700
- Best areas
- The New Forest, Beaulieu and Lymington, the Solent at Hamble and Southsea, and the countryside around Winchester
- Best time
- May to September for the coast and sailing; spring and autumn for walking in the Forest
- Getting there
- Direct trains from London Waterloo, Southampton airport, and Heathrow within around 90 minutes by road
Browse all 50+ properties in Hampshire
Villa numbers and guide prices are updated daily from our live collection.
Hampshire Castle United Kingdom11 bedrooms
Afintun Estate United Kingdom21 bedrooms
Napoleonic Fortress United Kingdom9 bedrooms
House Helm Hawthorn Winchester: Luxury 7-Bedroom Villa with Heated Pool & Hot Tub – Hampshire7 bedroomsWhere to stay in Hampshire
The New Forest for walking, riding and village pubs, Beaulieu and Lymington for river and harbour life, Portsmouth and Southsea for naval history and the seafront, and the Winchester countryside for chalk streams and country houses.
A royal hunting ground, now open to all
William the Conqueror set aside the New Forest as a royal hunting ground in the eleventh century, and it became a National Park in 2005. It is mostly open heath and ancient woodland, and the commoners' ponies, donkeys and cattle still graze it freely. In autumn, during the pannage season, pigs are turned out to eat the fallen acorns.
Villages such as Burley, Brockenhurst and Lyndhurst make good bases, with pubs, tea rooms and footpaths and cycle tracks leading out from the front door. Our Forest houses run from three-bedroom cottages to large family homes with tennis courts.
Motor cars, shipwrights and a Saturday market
Beaulieu has the ruins of a Cistercian abbey, Palace House and the National Motor Museum, which keeps children and grandfathers equally quiet for an afternoon. A riverside walk leads down to Buckler's Hard, a single broad street of Georgian cottages where warships for Nelson's navy were built.
Lymington, a few miles west, is a Georgian harbour town with yacht marinas, a Saturday market on the High Street and a ferry across to Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight. In late spring the rhododendrons and azaleas at nearby Exbury Gardens are in full colour.
Nelson's flagship and a seafront to stroll
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard holds HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship at Trafalgar, along with the Mary Rose, Henry VIII's warship raised from the seabed in 1982, and the Victorian ironclad HMS Warrior. The Spinnaker Tower stands 170 metres above the harbour.
Southsea, next door, has a long seafront promenade, a castle built by Henry VIII and the D-Day Story museum. Further along the coast, Hamble is a sailing village of steep lanes, waterside pubs and a little foot ferry across the river. Hayling Island has wide shingle beaches and plenty of room for kites and windsurfers.
Watercress, English fizz and a summer of shows
Hampshire eats well. Watercress has been grown in the chalk streams around Alresford for generations, and the heritage Watercress Line steams from there to Alton. New Forest venison turns up on country pub menus, and Hambledon's vineyard, planted in 1952, began a run of English sparkling wine on these chalk downs.
Winchester has its cathedral, the Great Hall with its Round Table, and Jane Austen's House at Chawton is a short drive away. The New Forest Show is held in late July, and Cowes Week fills the Solent with yachts in August. Our concierge can book tables, sailing days, fishing on the chalk streams and tickets.
Ask our conciergeFeatured properties in Hampshire
House Emsworth Hamble: Spacious 5-Bedroom Apartment with Hot Tub & Sea Views – Hampshire5 bedrooms · sleeps 9From £5,915 a week
House Beaulieu Lymington: Spacious 6-Bedroom Cottage with Pool & Tennis Court – New Forest6 bedrooms · sleeps 12From £5,684 a week
House Hamble Southampton: Luxury 5-Bedroom House with Seaview – Southampton5 bedrooms · sleeps 9From £5,355 a week
Marine House United Kingdom10 bedrooms · sleeps 20From £5,250 a week
House Itchen Winchester: Luxury 4-Bedroom House with Family-Friendly Features – Hampshire4 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £5,222 a week
House Gregale Durley Hampshire: Elegant 3-Bedroom Manor House with Historic Charm – Hampshire3 bedrooms · sleeps 6From £5,047 a week
House Avington Hampshire: Spacious 3-Bedroom Family Apartment – Hampshire Countryside3 bedrooms · sleeps 8From £4,942 a week
Shore House United Kingdom10 bedrooms · sleeps 20From £4,750 a weekWhy book your house in Hampshire with Excellence Luxury Villas
The right house, not the nearest one
Hampshire's houses are spread between forest, shore and chalk downland, and we know which are a short stroll from a pub, which look straight onto the Solent and which are near the trains from London. With 50+ properties in Hampshire, we can usually find the house that suits you rather than the one that happens to be free. Search by size, pool, location and price, or tell us what you have in mind and we will put together a shortlist.
Book direct
You book with us directly, with no booking fees. Questions about access, parking, pool heating or how far it really is to the nearest beach go to people who can find out the answer.
A concierge who knows the territory
Restaurant reservations, sailing days and yacht charters on the Solent, fly fishing on the Test and Itchen, tickets for the New Forest Show and Cowes Week, private chefs and transfers. Our concierge team arranges all of it, leaving you free to decide which terrace to sit on.
A house for every kind of party
Couples, families with small children, three generations together or a crowd of friends celebrating a birthday: we match the house to the group, down to the number of bathrooms and whether the pool is fenced.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is the best place to stay in Hampshire?
The New Forest suits walkers, riders and families who want countryside and village pubs. Lymington and Beaulieu suit those who love the water, Hamble and Southsea are best for sea views and sailing, and the countryside around Winchester offers country houses and chalk streams.
When is the best time to visit Hampshire?
May to September is best for the coast, sailing and long evenings outdoors, with the New Forest Show in late July and Cowes Week in August. Spring and autumn are quieter and lovely in the Forest, especially when the leaves turn.
Can you see the wild ponies in the New Forest?
Yes. The ponies belong to local commoners and graze freely across the open Forest, often by the roadside and in villages such as Burley and Brockenhurst. They should not be fed or petted, and drivers are asked to slow down for them.
Can you arrange a private chef at a house in Hampshire?
Yes. Our concierge can arrange a private chef for a single dinner or your whole stay, along with cookery lessons, guided visits, transfers and restaurant reservations.
How much does a luxury propertie in Hampshire cost?
Across our 50+ properties in Hampshire, weekly rates typically range from £2,100 to £5,700, with the most affordable from around £1,700 a week and the largest estates well above. Prices depend on the size of the property, its location and the season, with July and August the most expensive. These are guide prices based on current listings; each property page shows its own rates for your dates.
How do I get to Hampshire from London?
Direct trains run from London Waterloo to Winchester, Southampton, Brockenhurst and Portsmouth. By road the M3 and A3 cross the county, and Southampton airport has domestic and European flights.
Are there houses in Hampshire for large groups?
Yes. Our Hampshire collection includes properties with up to 21 bedrooms. Tell us the size of your party and the occasion, and we will send a shortlist that suits it.
Explore More Destinations
Find your house in Hampshire
50+ houses, cottages and manors in Hampshire, booked direct with our concierge on hand