WHITSBURY.

A 200 year old listed building welcomes you to this gem of a pub in the Hampshire countryside. The only qualm we had were the beer prices, over £2 a pint, but they were served well and tasted great. From the outside the building looks unimposing and much like any other country pub in a village. However, walk inside and you experience an amazing transformation. There are high ceilings in the bar area and low ceilings in the others. There are a number of rooms (all small) off the main bar area - which you walk into off the street through a heavy oak door. The real fire is to your right as you enter and although it takes a few hours for it to warm itself and then the room, you can sit close by and smell the comforting wood smoke. The ceiling is low here and covered with assorted brass implements and framed pictures of horses - as this a major local horse breeding area. The bar area is up a step and so is not suitable for the disabled. The bar is all dark wood with ceiling beams and has a mixture of roof heights and posts (see pic). There are some stools and the beers are prominently displayed on A4 sheets at one end. There were four guest ales on this occasion: an Exmoor, Fox and Ringwood Best, plus two others. All were served well without the sparkler if requested. There is also seating in this area with a padded bench seat. Tables throughout are square with dark wooden bare chairs (hard on the rear), except for the sole circular table near the kitchen. To the right of the bar you will find the kitchen area and the menu boards. These are hung in no particular order from the ceiling by the skylight and are on the wall behind the bench seat. Food is imaginative and wholesome, the cauliflower and broccoli crumble being rather scrumptious on this occasion. The prices can seam a little steep at £5.25 for a lunch time snack, but this is a country pub and the beers and food were excellent. There are choices for carnivore's as well and everyone is catered for. Food is cooked fresh and so might take a little longer to serve, but it is worth the wait. There are no evening meals on Tuesday's in winter. The rest of the pub is made up of small rooms for either drinking - at the back of the pub - or for playing pool - at the front of the pub. For the traveller the Cartwheel is near the Breamore Anglo-Saxon church on the outskirts of the New Forest. No accommodation here but try: Bat & Ball, Salisbury Road, Breamore, Fordingbridge, Hampshire. SP6 2EA - 3km from Whitsbury. Price: £40-60. (01725) 512252. Map