Hampshire is the heart of the Home Counties, home of the twinset and pearls. Winchester, being ancient, stylish, wealthy, is the commercial magnet It is also blessed with good schools and an ideal one-hour commute to London.
People who have grown up in Hampshire often start their careers in London then return after a few years with their young families. Downsizers love it too.
Spectacular villages in Hampshire include Micheldever, Sparsholt and Stockbridge. Top towns like Liphook, Alton, Alresford, Romsey, Fordingbridge, Lyndhurst, Brockenhurst, combine good looks and old-fashioned values.
In the south the New Forest, 45,000 acres of heath, moor and bog and ancient traditions, is a powerful draw. Hampshire is a horsey county. Lots of people move for the pony paddock or the pony club. Many of the fathers of children at the local primary schools commute to London to work.
On the south coast there is all the fun of sailing. Olympic sailors Ben Ainslie and Nick Rogers can be seen at Lymington, there are races across to the Isle of Wight, and balls at the Royal Lymington Yacht Club.
Hampshire is served by the M3, M27, A3, A31, A3 (M), and A34. The Hindhead Tunnel opened in 2011 and eliminated a notorious bottleneck.
Surrounding counties are Dorset to the west, Wiltshire to the north-west, Berkshire to the north, Surrey to the north-east, and West Sussex to the east.
Stations in Hampshire:
