The second stage of our 2016 New Forest trip saw us venturing away from our comfort zone at the Caravan Club. In fact, we were headed to their great rival, the Camping and Caravanning club site at Green Hill farm at the top of the New Forest.

Despite the final embers of summer and given the schools are back, this was yet again another sell-out. I appreciate not all of the site was open – Green Hill farm have a number of camping fields in addition to the main site – but the main section was very full. Another choice of one pitch!

Green Hill farm was certainly very different to the regimented rows of predominantly new caravans seen at the typical Caravan Club site. The toilet and shower facilities were clean but lacked a feeling of the “luxury” one is accustomed to with the Caravan Club. Prices were not vastly different with Green Hill farm at £22 per night compared to the Caravan Club site around the £30 mark.

There was however plenty of wildlife at Green Hill farm. Lots of ducks, coots and a black cat which decided to make it’s home in our caravan. Not for long…

In the continuing theme of encountering very traditional English real ale pubs, we were recommended the Cuckoo Inn at Hamptworth and we were not disappointed.

A fine selection of real ales and of course, no “plastic” food served here. In fact no food is served here at all in the evenings. Except on Friday, because on Friday nights, “Sam’s Frying Machine” is parked in the Cuckoo Inn car park serving the “best” Fish and Chips we’ve ever sampled. That’s saying something for a Yorkshireman who grew up with a multitude of fine British cuisine on his doorstep!

In fact, Sam’s frying machine visits many of the local villages on various nights of the week, but we think Friday night at the Cuckoo is the best.

We only recorded one walk in this part of the New Forest.

Funnily enough this also included refreshments at the Cuckoo!!