A NewForest Break At Balmer LawnHotel ...


The New Forest is one of the most unspoilt and glorious parts of southern England. This unique area, full of picturesque villages, bustlingmarket towns and winding country lanes is a great place for a short and relaxing break whatever the season. It’smade up of a well cared for mix of forest, pasture and heathland. The environmental impact of the many visitors has to be carefully balanced and the forest has a 40mph speed limit and lots of car parking areas. Here you will give way to the ponies and cattle grazing freely as they have done for centuries, There’s plenty of opportunities to see the famous ponies at close quarters and deep in the wooded areas there’s a good chance of spotting one of the 2000 or so deer.


My wife and I took a short break to the area in early Spring staying at the delightful Balmer Lawn Hotel and Spa. Situated on the outskirts of Brockenhurst the hotel is ideally located in the heart of the New Forest and just a few miles from Lyndhurst, a firmfavouritewith visitors. Stop off at one of themany tea rooms and explore the local shops.Not to bemissed is theNewForest HeritageCentre in themain car park. This free to entermuseum, gallery and reference library is dedicated to sharing the history and traditions of the New Forest.With a gift shop and excellent little cafe, it’s a great place to find out about this diverse and beautiful area.


The Balmer Lawn Hotel’s name is taken from the lawn at the front of the hotel. Originally built in the mid 1800’s as a hunting lodge, Balmer Lawn is a classic country house hotel. The proprietors, Chris and Alison Wilson, together with their dedicated staff put great effort into ensuring their guests receive 100%satisfaction. There are 54 rooms reached by a rather grand staircase near the reception area or via a convenient lift to all floors. We had room 10, and what a room! Luxurious accommodation, large bathroom with shower and a super balconywith artificial grass and awonderful viewacross the lawn and the forest beyond.With cricket matches in the summer,


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ponies, deer and cattle most months and the New Forest all around, this is the place to stay. A number of ‘dog friendly’ rooms are also available.


Balmer Lawn Hotel has its own microbrewery in the grounds producing their own ale called ‘Smokin Deer’ which is on sale in the hotel bar. There’s a story on the hotelwebsite as to howthis brewery came about. There are indoor and outdoor swimming pools, awell equipped gym, tennis court and the luxurious Saltus Spa which offers a wide range of massages, facials and body treatments. The spa facilities include a pool, jacuzzi and post treatment quiet relaxation area.


There are two choices of dining at the hotel - Beresfords, the award winning 2 AA Rosette restaurant and The Lounge overlooking the terrace.We decided to try both on our two night stay. Beresfords the first night was superb. A lovely warm and inviting atmospherewith a greatmenu andwine list. The service was excellent and the steak for my main course was cooked to perfection! Dinner in the Lounge the following night with an extensive lounge menu. Our table was reserved and another excellent meal followed with first class attentive service. The New Forest breakfast was hard to beat and with a mix of buffet and table service we were set up for the day.


Beresfords Restaurant


A BREAK FOR ALL SEASONS


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