The White Horse Hotel, Romsey, Hampshire

We’d been told about this place by the hotel where we were staying, so came in for a meal. It was busy, which seems a good sign, and you might want to call ahead. We’re both vegetarian and there were lots of options. I chose a special, my wife had the mushroom burger, and everything came quickly and tasted fantastic. We finished with two puddings. A lovely experience, and the staff were great.

Getting around was easy for me since I use both the bus and train, and the hotel is very close to the town centre. Parking worked out well and was inexpensive, though there’s none at the hotel itself. You have to use the long-stay car park, which costs £4.20 a day and is free overnight. If shopping’s your thing, Bradbeer is a brilliant department store.

The town is small but has plenty of lovely shops alongside the usual ones. I enjoyed spotting the local people’s odes, poems and observations set into the paving stones. The Abbey is the oldest we’ve visited. The hotel is a warm, friendly place with loads of history, and the barman really knows his stuff. A great place to visit.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, and the hotel itself was lovely, but the room was far too hot for me to sleep comfortably. Even with every radiator off and the windows open in mid-January, it was still in the high 20s. In a follow-up, the hotel said the room had air conditioning. It definitely didn’t. They provided a desk fan, but there was no air conditioning.