Hamble le Rice on the River Hamble is an attractive sailing village boasting world-renowned sailing facilities, period cottages, coastal walks, and great pubs and restaurants.
Used as an aircraft training centre during the Second World War, Hamble is now one of the most important yachting destinations in the UK.
A wonderful place to both live and visit, here are a few of our favourite things to see and do in Hamble le Rice.
EAT
The River Rat at the top of the cobbled high street is a modern European restaurant with a stylish wine and cocktail bar and a pretty garden with heated huts for a year-round al-fresco experience.
Banana Wharf at Port Hamble marina is the perfect spot to eat overlooking the water. The menu blends tropical and oriental dishes with traditional favourites and the freshest seafood, and there's a large heated, covered terrace looking out on a host of clinking masts.
The Gaff Rigger at Mercury Yacht Harbour is a casual, upbeat restaurant and bar in a stunning waterfront location on the edge of the Hamble River, specialising in fresh seafood.
The Beach Hut Café sits right on the banks of the River Hamble estuary. Try a delicious ice cream milk shake, buy crabbing nets and bait for an afternoon of fun with the kids, and then return for an early evening drink on the roof terrace to watch the sun set over the river.
The Bugle is a traditional English pub with a terrace overlooking the river. Enjoy traditional classics and real ale against a backdrop of flagstone floors and beamed ceilings.
DO
Walk The Strawberry Trail, a 15-mile figure of eight trail running through Hamble along the riverbank from Botley to Netley, taking in some of the area’s most beautiful countryside.
Paddleboard or kayak along the Hamble River with Wesup Hamble River! Friendly instructors offer lessons and equipment hire within the beauty of a world heritage nature reserve.
Walk sections of the Solent Way, a 60-mile coastal route from the seaside town of Milford-on-Sea to Emsworth Harbour, passing through the Hamble Valley.
Go sailing – Universal Yachting offers charters and pop-up sailing days for the individuals or the whole family.
Walk the Hamble Rail Trail, an easy 4.5-mile walk running along a disused railway track built towards the end of WWI to transport aircraft from Manchester to Hamble. The trail links Hamble Common, Royal Victoria Country Park, the Solent Way and the Strawberry Trail.
SEE
Netley Abbey - the Netley Abbey ruins are within walking distance from Hamble – once an impressive Cistercian Priory, many arched windows and doorways can still be seen in the surviving stone walls.
Curbridge Nature Reserve - the National Trust’s Curbridge Nature Reserve is a stunning ancient woodland that runs alongside the Hamble River. Loved by the local community, the woodland is home to a ‘fairy tree’, decorated with tokens from visitors, and strewn with bluebells in the spring.
Titchfield Haven Nature Reserve, Holly Hill Woodland Park, and Bunney Meadows - a delightful walk along the east bank of the River Hamble with stunning views of the marinas on the western side.
The Royal Victoria Country Park - less than a mile from the village, The Royal Victoria Country Park sits on the shores of Southampton Water. This idyllic country park has a small shingle beach, mature woodland and miles of open fields to explore.
