Hampshire is a county located mid-way along England's south coast. It is bordered to the west by Dorset and Wiltshire, to the north by Berkshire, and to the east by Surrey and West Sussex.

Hampshire is an extremely picturesque county, the diversity of its geography contributing strongly to its charm. Beginning with the southern edge of the county, one will find the major maritime cities of Portsmouth and Southampton and the spectacular coastlines they have to offer. However, one only need travel a short distance north to find the South Downs, rolling chalk downlands, peppered with quintessentially English villages.

The contrast is best illustrated by the stunning views from the top of Portsdown Hill. To the south one can see a sweeping panorama of Portsmouth, with both Southampton and the Isle of Wight visible in the distance. Turn 180° to face north and an entirely different vista is presented; farms, fields and forests stretch off in to the distance as far as the eye can see. The change in scenery is remarkable; one could almost imagine they have travelled back in time simply by turning around.

Hampshire has played an important role in the history of England since the Neolithic when the first settlements were founded in the area. Its location on the south coast led to it being one of the first areas of England to be conquered by the Romans. Evidence of their occupation can still be found in the area today. The finest example is Portchester Castle, situated between Southampton and Portsmouth. Built towards the end of the 3rd century as a fort, the original walls are the best preserved example in northern Europe. In the late 11th century the original Roman walls were co-opted as the outer bailey for a Norman castle which was added to the north-west corner of the fort. Later still, the castle grounds were used as a prisoner-of-war camp during the Napoleonic wars.

The strategic location of Hampshire on the south coast has meant that it has played a consistently important role in the military history of Britain. The natural harbour at Portsmouth is considered the traditional home of the Royal Navy, and remains a significant operational base. The naval base is the home of many major tourist attractions, including H.M.S Victory, H.M.S Warrior and the preserved remains of the Mary Rose.

The Hampshire coastline is also the location of a significant number of defences against a hypothetical invasion by Napoleon, now commonly known as the Palmerston Follies. A string of forts stretches across Portsdown Hill and on in to Fareham and Gosport, two of which are open to the public. Tours of Fort Widley are available during the summer months, Fort Nelson houses an artillery museum operated by the Royal Armouries. However, the most unique of these are the Solent sea-forts, four round forts built in the waters between Portsmouth and the Isle of Wight.

As well as being a naturally important location from a naval perspective, Hampshire also contains the birthplaces of the Royal Air Force and British Army, at Farnborough and Aldershot respectively. Supermarine, the designers of the Spitfire were based at Southampton., The maiden flight of this iconic fighter was from nearby Eastleigh Aerodrome, now operating commercially as Southampton Airport. The Supermarine Spitfire played an important role in the defence of its home country in 1940, the skies of Hampshire reverberating to the roar of Rolls-Royce Merlin engines during The Battle of Britain.

The northern part of Hampshire is known as “Jane Austen Country.” Austen's life was closely linked with Hampshire, providing inspiration for her most famous works. Almost 200 years after her death, this part of the county is still extremely rural in nature. Gently undulating with the South Downs, the sweeping landscape contains many villages that appear to have been lifted directly from her novels. Austen spent the final years of her life in a house in Chawton, south of Basingstoke. The house has been preserved in the period style as a museum dedicated to her life and works. Her grave may be found in the cathedral at Winchester, the ancient capital of both Wessex and England.

The South Downs is just one of the two national parks to be found in the county, the second being the New Forest. The New Forest was planted during the reign of William I and is famous for its free-roaming ponies. Combined, the two parks cover over 45% of the county, offering relaxing walks for the keen rambler, with plenty of lovely country pubs to stop in along the way.