Whitsbury · Fordingbridge · SP6 3PZ Est. 18th Century

A Country Inn on the Edge of the New Forest

The Cartwheel Innfood, fire & forest

An 18th-century farm cottage where Hampshire meets Dorset and Wiltshire. Cask ales pulled slow, seasonal plates cooked with intent, and rooms to fall into after a long walk on the heath.

Reserve a Table → View the Menu

Since the
Wheelwright's
Day · Est. 1700s ·

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Our Story

A warm welcome,
three centuries in the making.

The Cartwheel Inn sits in the village of Whitsbury, where three county lines meet and the countryside rolls out in every direction. Our 18th-century building began life as a farm cottage — home to a wheelwright and, for many years, a busy village bakery.

"You can still see the old bakery oven, sitting quietly beside the bar — bread was once drawn hot from it at dawn."

Today the ovens run a different shift. What hasn't changed is the welcome: a warm fire, well-kept ale, and a kitchen that takes its ingredients seriously without taking itself too seriously. Pop in before a walk on the heath, or linger after one — you may even spot a future champion racehorse heading back to Whitsbury Manor Stables behind us.

The Cartwheel Inn — a 17th-century country pub in Whitsbury on the edge of the New Forest

Whitsbury · Hampshire
Dorset · Wiltshire

The Kitchen

Seasonal British cooking, locally sourced & unfussily good.

Menus that change with the fields and the fishermen. Game from the estate, fish off the south coast, vegetables from growers we know by name — cooked properly and served without ceremony.

Chef / 30+ yrs

Meet the Chef

Paul Somerville

Award-Winning Head Chef

Paul brings more than three decades of professional kitchens to The Cartwheel — a career built on classical technique, seasonal discipline, and a deep respect for the produce of the South West. His menus read like a love letter to the region: familiar, generous, and quietly precise.

A taste of what's on the board →

Menus change weekly. Call 01725 518 362 for today's selection.

The Bar

Cask ales, fine wines
& local gins.

A proper country bar. Hand-pulled cask ales kept with care, a cellar that turns with the seasons, gin shelves stocked with distillers we visit, and a wine list chosen to match the kitchen rather than show off.

Cask Ale · Hand-pulled Rotating
Local Gins · Hampshire & Dorset 8+ Shelves
Fine Wines · Old & New World By the Glass
Whisky Shelf · Single Malts Ask the Bar

"A log on the fire, a pint in the hand, and not much else to trouble you."

Stay Awhile

Comfortable rooms, quiet mornings.

Stay over and the New Forest is yours at dawn — before the car parks fill and the lanes wake up.

Country Beds

Properly comfortable rooms in an old cottage — thick walls, soft linen, dark skies.

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Forest Doorstep

Step out and you're on the bridleways of the New Forest within minutes.

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Breakfast Included

A proper cooked breakfast to set you up — taken in the bar or the garden.

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Quiet Village

Whitsbury sleeps gently. The loudest thing you'll hear is the stable yard at dawn.

Opening Hours

When the
doors are open.

We're closed Mondays and Tuesdays — the kitchen needs a rest and so does the cellar. The rest of the week, you'll find us behind the bar.

Last food orders are taken 30 minutes before the kitchen closes. Bookings recommended for evenings and Sundays.

Day Bar Food

Monday

Closed

—

Tuesday

Closed

—

Wednesday

11am – 3pm · 5pm – 10pm

12pm – 2.30pm · 5pm – 9pm

Thursday

11am – 3pm · 5pm – 10pm

12pm – 2.30pm · 5pm – 9pm

Friday

11am – 3pm · 5pm – 11pm

12pm – 2.30pm · 5pm – 9pm

Saturday

11am – 11pm

12pm – 3pm · 5pm – 9pm

Sunday

11am – 5.30pm

12pm – 4pm

Find Us

Where three
counties meet.

Tucked into the village of Whitsbury, a few minutes' drive from Fordingbridge and on the doorstep of the New Forest National Park. The perfect stop before, during, or after a long walk on the heath.

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