Breamore

An absolutely delightful Avon valley village

Breamore - an idyllic thatched cottage

Breamore, a historic village 4 kilometres (2½ miles) north of Fordingbridge, nestles peacefully between imposing chalk hills and the mighty River Avon. Thatched cottages, many dating back to the 17th century, remind of days-gone-by, and so does the Saxon church. Add in, an Elizabethan red brick manor house, a centuries old corn mill, road-side village stocks, ancient grazing marshes, a mysterious maze and an old, lovingly restored railway station and you have a recipe for a delightful English village.

Breamore - distance from Lyndhurst
15 miles (24 kilometres)

Breamore - did you know?
Firstly, that Breamore is pronounced 'Bremmer', and secondly, that the best view of Breamore Mill; the Avon valley and the chalk hills beyond; and the river snaking through lush, green meadows; is to be had from high up on Castle Hill, almost 2 kilometres to the south-east of the village.

Breamore - the Saxon church

Shops – a pleasant village shop

Pubs - The Bat and Ball Inn lies beside the A338 in Breamore, the Horse and Groom is in nearby Woodgreen, and The Cartwheel Inn is in Whitsbury.

Restaurants - try Fordingbridge a little to the south, or slightly more distant Salisbury.

The Parish Church of St. Mary
(Close to Breamore House, 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) west of the A338).Completed in around AD 980, the walls are in-filled with uncut flints gathered from the fields. Saxon lettering is still visible on an arch under the tower.

St. Michael's Priory
Breamore's Augustinian priory was founded in 1130, and dissolved by Henry VIII in 1536. The site, amongst the riverside meadows north of Breamore Mill, is not accessible to the public.

Breamore House - Elizabethan splendour

Breamore House
Privately owned by the Hulse family, just as it has been for nine generations, and set in attractive parkland, Breamore House is open to the public from April until the end of September. It was completed in 1583 and has changed little over the intervening years.

Breamore Countryside Museum
Associated with Breamore House, the countryside museum boasts amongst its exhibits a fine collection of steam powered farm machinery, tractors, barn machinery and historical tools.

Breamore Marsh
(To the south-west of a minor road leading from the A338 to Breamore House). A one-time manorial green extending to 38 acres of wet meadows, ponds and streams, the marsh has been grazed for centuries by commoners' stock and geese. It is also home to a wealth of wild flowers, dragonflies and damselflies.

Breamore mizmaze

The Railway
The single track Salisbury and Dorset Junction Railway opened in 1866 and closed in 1964. Its route through Breamore can best be seen from a road bridge a little to the north-west of Breamore Mill. The station building, now in private use, is adjacent to the bridge.

Breamore Mizmaze
This turf maze surrounded by yews up on the downs 3 kilometres (almost 2 miles) north-west of the village centre can be reached via a public footpath running through the woods beyond the driveway to Breamore House. An association with the priory has been suggested, although speculation remains about the age of this unusual feature. A Bronze Age barrow is nearby.

Breamore Mill

Walking around Breamore
There's lots of potential along quiet country lanes, over fields and meadows, and through the woods leading up to the downs.