For me, mornings don’t get much more blissful than those spent walking from Abbotstone Down to Alresford with my husband Andy and son Barnaby. We take the route onto Abbotstone Road, past Pinglestone Farm, and cross over the mill house, passing the ducks and swans as we head into town. Once there, we’ll browse around the shops before grabbing some lunch.

One of my favourite places is Morgans Hardware on Broad Street – an old fashioned rabbit warren stocking everything from kilner jars to seeds and spades. We’re also regulars at Laurence Oxley bookshop, where the children’s section is tucked away at the end of the shop and we can spend time delving through the boxes of second-hand books without worrying about an excitable Barnaby bothering the other customers. We always leave with something, whether it’s a book on otters or an old Wombles annual!

If we are having a ‘proper’ Alresford day, we’ll have lunch at The Bell on West Street. Children are always very welcome here, and it’s generally just a very lovely place with delicious food and great wines. Sometimes you feel like doing something a little more grown up than pizza and this place bridges the gap well. After lunch, if we’re feeling really indulgent, we might pop into The Naked Grape wine merchants and buy a bottle to enjoy later in the day. The staff here are hugely knowledgeable and we’ve never been disappointed by any of the wines we’ve taken home.

Photo courtesy of Dutch Simba on Flickr