The Cricketers Inn

The smell of Sunday roast drifts across the beer garden where a handful of tents nestle behind Hampshire's most welcoming village pub.

This is proper old-school camping — turn up with your tent or book one of the timber pods, and you're sharing space with locals popping in for a pint and walkers coming off the footpaths that lace through the woods around Bordon. It works brilliantly for couples after a no-fuss weekend, families who want the pub便利right there for meals, and anyone exploring the South Downs or Alice Holt Forest without the full campsite rigmarole. Dog owners should ask ahead, and it's worth checking the campfire policy when you arrive — rules can shift depending on the season and how busy they are.

You're essentially camping in a pub garden, so expect friendly chatter, the crack of cricket bat on willow if there's a match on, and proper beds in the inn if the weather turns. Open all year, low-key, and genuinely useful if you want Hampshire countryside without the bells and whistles.