
Walk the Basingstoke Canal
The towpath is flat and peaceful, great for spotting kingfishers and herons, and an easy stroll with or without the dog.
Odiham · Hampshire
Hello, we're Adam & Yvonne, and we live in Odiham. This is our guide to the village we love: easy walks along the Basingstoke Canal, dog-friendly pubs, the Friday market and our favourite places to eat, plus a few things to do near Hook.
Odiham is one of Hampshire's prettiest villages, with a historic High Street and the Basingstoke Canal right on the doorstep. These are the things we always tell friends to do.

The towpath is flat and peaceful, great for spotting kingfishers and herons, and an easy stroll with or without the dog.
Our favouriteThe Folly Coffee Bar is a family-run speciality coffee shop on the High Street, and its hot chocolate is our go-to on a cold day.
They serve freshly roasted espresso, homemade cakes, pastries and light lunches, and there are a few tables outside under the big front windows for when the sun comes out. It makes a good meeting point before a walk, or a reward afterwards, and it suits anyone who takes their coffee seriously. It's right on the High Street, so it's no distance from anywhere in the village.

Head out to North Warnborough and, once you're past the ford, keep an eye out for the Highland cows grazing in the fields behind the Mill House, a pub in a historic watermill.

Every Friday from 8am to 1pm, stalls line the High Street with fruit and veg, fresh bread, cheese and more. Pick up something for lunch, then stop for a coffee.

A village pub in Greywell, close to the western end of the canal walk. It reopened under new management in late August 2026, so check first whether dogs are welcome and what food is on.
Odiham is a lovely place to bring a dog. The canal towpath is flat and easy, and there's woodland to explore on Odiham Common. For full routes with maps and GPX downloads, see our eight favourite walks around Odiham.

Woodland pasture and a Site of Special Scientific Interest, with the canal along one edge and free parking at Colt Hill Wharf. It's dog friendly, but gets very muddy after rain, so bring wellies.

Eight dog-friendly routes, from a short loop on the Common to the castle, Greywell Moors and Dogmersfield Park, each with a map, directions and a GPX download.
The towpath runs for miles in both directions, so you can make a walk as long or as short as you like. Head west towards Greywell or east towards Colt Hill and the Waterwitch.
Fancy a drink after your walk? See our dog-friendly pubs nearby.
Pubs, restaurants and cafés, all in one place. Odiham does food and drink really well for a village, from historic High Street pubs to Italian, Indian and crêpes, and plenty of places welcome dogs. Most keep dogs to the bar or garden rather than the dining room, so have a quick word when you arrive.
Dog-friendlyHigh Street, OdihamThe Red Lion is an independently owned, Grade II-listed pub and inn right in the middle of Odiham High Street, and it's dog friendly, so it's an easy choice when you're out with the dog.
The kitchen sticks to seasonal British pub classics made with Hampshire produce, served at lunch and in the evening, and from Friday to Sunday it opens early for breakfast, which is handy on a Friday market morning. Behind the beamed bar you'll find craft beers and cocktails, there's seating out the front, and there's live music on some nights. It also has seven bedrooms, some of which take dogs. You can book a table online, and it's a minute or so from anywhere on the High Street.
Dog-friendlyHigh Street, OdihamBel & the Dragon at the George is a Grade II-listed former inn on the High Street, with roots going back to 1540, and it's the place for a special meal or a long, lazy lunch.
The menus are built around seasonal, locally sourced ingredients, with classic dishes given a modern touch, and breakfast is served every morning from 8am. Dogs on leads are welcome in the bar and the garden, though not in the main dining areas, so ask for a dog-friendly table when you book. The garden has a refurbished terrace and a pergola, and the bar has local ales, cocktails and a good choice of wine. It's right in the middle of the High Street.
High Street, OdihamEl Castello is a friendly Italian and Mediterranean restaurant in the middle of the High Street.
The menu covers traditional and more modern dishes, homemade and often using ingredients brought over from Italy. It's a relaxed spot for a family dinner or a night out with friends, and you can book a table online. If you'd rather stay in, they do takeaway too, and you're welcome to call in just for a coffee. It's closed on Mondays. You'll find it a minute or so's walk from anywhere on the High Street.
High Street, OdihamOdiham Tandoori serves Indian and Bangladeshi food on the High Street, and you can eat in, collect or have it delivered.
The menu is long, from rich, creamy curries to lighter biryanis, sizzlers and tandoori grills, with a wine list and speciality beers to go with it. Inside it's air-conditioned, and there's a pretty booth with a flower wall that's lovely for a special occasion. Ordering online for collection is easy, which helps after a long day out. It's closed on Tuesdays, and it's right on the High Street.
High Street, OdihamLa Creperie is tucked away in a quiet garden off the High Street, and it's well worth finding.
The menu is all about French crêpes, galettes and good coffee, with smoothies and iced coffee when the weather warms up. It works well for breakfast, a light lunch or an afternoon treat, and in summer there's live music in the garden on Sundays. You can book a table, or grab a takeaway coffee if you're on the move. It's a calm, unhurried spot for couples, friends or a mid-walk break, and it's right on the High Street.
High Street, OdihamFountains Coffee Shop, in Fountains Mall on the High Street, has been going since 1998, according to the sign over its big bay window.
It's a cheerful, no-fuss café that's best known for its cooked breakfasts, with lunches such as paninis and salads, plus cakes and milkshakes later in the day. There are highchairs and you can take away, so it's an easy stop with children. It opens at 8am from Monday to Saturday, which suits early risers and Friday market shoppers alike. You'll find it in the middle of the High Street.
Dog-friendlyThe Bury, OdihamThe Bell is a tiny two-room pub in The Bury, opposite the church and just off the High Street.
It was first licensed in 1509 and is Grade II listed, and when a developer wanted to turn it into housing, the village clubbed together, bought it in 2024 and volunteers helped renovate it. It reopened in February 2026. Expect real ales, bar snacks such as pickled eggs, and old pub games like dominoes and shove ha'penny. It's dog friendly and family friendly, and it's a couple of minutes' walk from the High Street.
Dog-friendlyColt Hill, OdihamThe Waterwitch sits beside the Basingstoke Canal at Colt Hill, so it's the obvious place for hearty pub food after a towpath walk.
It's changing hands: the current team's last day is 1 November 2026 and the new operators plan to reopen this November, date to be announced, so check first.
Dogs are welcome in the big beer garden and in selected areas inside. The menu sticks to pub favourites such as steaks and pies, with seasonal specials, Sunday roasts and a 'Picky Bits' menu of small plates, and breakfast runs from Friday to Sunday. Food is served from late morning into the evening, and there's a good range of local cask ales. Inside it's cosy and traditional, in a Grade II-listed building whose history goes back to the 17th century. It's family friendly with its own car park, and about 11 minutes' walk from Odiham High Street.
Dog-friendlyNorth WarnboroughThe Mill House is a Grade II-listed watermill in North Warnborough, and its gardens around the millpond on the River Whitewater are lovely on a sunny day.
It's a Brunning & Price pub with a daily menu of fresh food, a Sunday menu and a children's menu, plus cask ales, and it's Coeliac UK accredited. Well-behaved dogs on leads are welcome in the bar, as long as they stay off the furniture, so mention your dog when you book. The pub also runs monthly Saturday-morning walks that dogs can join. It's about 23 minutes' walk from Odiham High Street.
Dog-friendlyThe Street, North WarnboroughThe Anchor Inn is a traditional village local on The Street in North Warnborough, with two separate bars, the saloon and the public.
Dogs are welcome, and there's a large beer garden out the back, so it's a good one for a sunny afternoon after a stroll along the canal. In winter there's a real fire, the food is reasonably priced and there's a dartboard too. It doesn't usually open at weekday lunchtimes, so check before you go. From Odiham High Street it's about a 17-minute walk.
Dog-friendlyBartley Heath, North WarnboroughThe Derby Inn is a family-run free house at Bartley Heath, on the edge of North Warnborough, and it's properly set up for dogs: they're welcome in the bar, there are water bowls outside and the staff often have treats to hand.
The food is a bit different from the usual pub menu, cooked with locally sourced ingredients and inspired by dishes from around the world, with gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. There's a weekday lunch menu, a changing line-up of real ales, a garden, and covered, heated booths for chillier evenings, and they do takeaway through Just Eat. It's about half an hour's walk from Odiham High Street, mostly along the road, or a five-minute drive.
GreywellThe Fox & Goose is a 16th-century village inn in Greywell, a short hop from the Basingstoke Canal and King John's Castle.
It's a popular stop for walkers and cyclists coming off the towpath, with a garden and a big field behind. It closed in July 2026 and reopened under new management in late August, so check first whether dogs and children are welcome and whether food is being served. From Odiham High Street it's around half an hour on foot. Food times vary, so it's worth checking before you set off.
Dogs on the terraceNorth WarnboroughThe Farm Café at Newlyns is our pick for a proper breakfast, made with the farm's own award-winning sausages and bacon, local eggs and artisan bread.
Breakfast is served all day until 2pm, and there's a lunch menu, a children's menu for under-12s and afternoon tea from Tuesday to Friday (booking required). It's a big, airy space that welcomes walk-ins, and groups of ten or more can book ahead. Dogs aren't allowed inside, but they're welcome to join you on the outdoor terrace, weather permitting.
Want to walk between them? Our Odiham Trail and Ale walk links seven of these local pubs in one relaxed day out.
Colt Hill Wharf, a short walk from the High Street, is the place to get out on the water. Hire a boat and go it alone, or sit back and let someone else do the steering on a canal cruise.

Galleon Marine is the family-run boatyard at Colt Hill Wharf, where you can hire a rowing boat, kayak, canoe, paddleboard or small electric boat by the hour.
It also hires out narrowboats for holidays and day trips, including an accessible widebeam. The canal is very quiet here, with the first lock more than 12 miles away, so it's a gentle place to try boating. Hettie, the converted horsebox coffee bar, serves coffee, cakes and ice cream by the picnic area. It's closed for the winter and reopens in April 2027. It's about 13 minutes' walk from the High Street.

The John Pinkerton is a 50-seat trip boat run by the Basingstoke Canal Society, and it's a lovely, slow way to see the canal.
Public trips leave from Colt Hill Wharf and last about two and a half hours, heading east or west depending on the weather and water levels, at less than walking pace. There's a licensed bar on board, and there are themed trips with live music, cream teas or children's events. You'll need to book ahead. Boarding is down a few steps, with no lift. Colt Hill Wharf is about 11 minutes' walk from the High Street.
Dog-friendlyColt Hill, OdihamThe canalside pub at Colt Hill, and the obvious place for hearty pub food after a towpath walk. Dogs are welcome in the big beer garden and in selected areas inside.
It's changing hands: the current team's last day is 1 November 2026 and the new operators plan to reopen this November, date to be announced, so check first.
Odiham's High Street is full of independent shops, salons and handy services, grouped here so you can find what you need quickly. We check the list regularly, but opening hours change, so have a look at their websites before you set off.
The everyday essentials are all on the High Street, a few minutes' walk from each other. For a big shop, Tesco in Hook is a short drive away.

53 High Street, Odiham
The Co-op on the High Street is a Southern Co-op store and your best bet for everyday basics like milk, bread, wine and something for tea.
The village Post Office counter is inside the store too. It keeps long hours, roughly 7am to 10pm every day, so it's handy if you arrive late or forget something. There's also a Hart Foodbank donation point if you'd like to leave a few things for local families. It's right in the village centre, a minute or two's walk from everywhere on the High Street.

Inside the Co-op, 53 High Street, Odiham
Odiham Post Office is a counter inside the Co-op on the High Street, so you can post a parcel and pick up the milk in one trip.
It handles the everyday jobs: stamps, letters, parcels and returns, plus some banking and bill payments. Post Office branches can offer extras such as travel money, but not every branch does everything, so check the branch page before you make a special trip. It's useful if you need to send something home or post a return while you're away, and it's right in the middle of the village.

74 High Street, Odiham
The Sweet Shop is a proper old-fashioned sweet shop on the High Street, where sweets are sold by the quarter.
There's a wide choice, plus handmade chocolates, so it's a treat for children and a trip down memory lane for grown-ups. It usually opens from Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm. Pop in after a walk or on the way back from the canal for a bag of something to share. It's right in the village centre.

High Street, Odiham
Every Friday morning, from 8am to 1pm, stalls set up along the High Street for Odiham's weekly market.
It's organised by inOdiham, the volunteer group behind the Christmas lights and the summer flower baskets, and the regulars include fruit and veg, a butcher from Hartley Wintney, a cheese and deli stall, and fresh bread, cakes and pies. It's a great way to pick up lunch or picnic bits for a walk. The weather can affect it, so have a look at inOdiham's updates before you head out.

112 High Street, Odiham
The Premier store at 112 High Street is a handy convenience shop for snacks, drinks and everyday bits.
It opens early and closes late, from 7am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 8am on Sundays, and there's a cash machine, the National Lottery and phone top-ups. It's useful when you need cash, or something the Co-op has run out of. It's on the High Street, a couple of minutes' walk from the middle of the village.

Hook, a short drive away
For a big weekly shop, the Tesco superstore on Station Road in Hook is the nearest proper supermarket.
It's open from 6am to 11pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 4pm on Sundays, and there's a Costa Express and a petrol station on site. It's about 4km from Odiham, so you'll want the car or a taxi rather than walking, and it's close to Hook railway station if you're arriving by train and want to stock up first.
Odiham's independent shops are a big part of its charm, and most are along the High Street or in Fountains Mall. Leave time for a proper browse.
For collectorsFountains Mall, High Street, Odiham
Force TCG Collectables is a dedicated Pokémon card shop on the High Street, tucked into Fountains Mall right next door to Fountains coffee shop.
It's the Pokémon card shop Odiham's young collectors have been waiting for: a proper trading cards shop with raw singles, graded slabs and sealed product such as booster boxes, bundles and Elite Trainer Boxes, from vintage sets to modern releases. Got a binder of old cards at home? They offer card valuations by appointment. If you're after Pokémon cards in Hampshire, it's well worth the trip, and it makes a brilliant rainy-day or kids' treat, with a hot chocolate or coffee next door at Fountains afterwards. It's open on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm, so check their Instagram before you visit.

Fountains Mall, High Street, Odiham
Katharine Jane is a gift shop and women's clothing boutique in Fountains Mall, in the middle of the High Street.
It stocks a big range of Emma Bridgewater pottery and textiles, plus Gisella Graham ornaments and giftware, and you can pick up wrapping paper and cards while you're there. It's a good place to find a present to take home, or a thank-you for whoever's feeding the cat. It's open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

45a High Street, Odiham
near wild heaven is a wellbeing shop run by sisters Laura and Hannah, who swapped careers in music and TV for making small-batch botanical skincare.
Everything is mixed and bottled in their on-site workshop, and each product is named after a pop culture reference, so see how many you can spot. The shop, in a restored old post office that was once a butcher's, also has a herbal tea bar, a dried flower bar, refillable candles, books and gifts. It's on the High Street and lovely for a present.

81 High Street, Odiham
The Frame Gallery at 81 High Street is a picture framer and art gallery in one.
Owner Katie and her team offer made-to-measure and ready-made framing, and you can pop in for a no-obligation chat about options. The gallery sells original paintings, limited-edition prints and a range of gifts and homeware, and it puts on exhibitions too. It's a good place to find something to remember Odiham by. It's open Tuesday to Saturday, 9.30am to 5pm.

75 High Street, Odiham
No 75 Antiques, at 75 High Street, is an antiques centre selling antique and vintage pieces alongside gifts and crafts.
It's the kind of place where you go in for a quick look and come out half an hour later with something you didn't know you needed. Listings give the opening hours as 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday and 11am to 2pm on Sundays, but it's worth checking before you go.

99 High Street, Odiham
Moutan Flowers is the village florist, in what used to be Odiham's butcher's on the High Street, between King Street and Church Street.
Inside it's a series of rooms full of fresh flowers, houseplants, candles, jewellery, scarves and things for the home. In the far room is the Arrangement Bar, where you can watch the florists at work, and the shop is home to the Hampshire Flower School, which runs floral workshops. It's open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm.

115 High Street, Odiham
Odiham Card Shop at 115 High Street is the place for greetings cards, gift cards and stationery, and it's surprisingly useful beyond that.
You can drop off dry cleaning and laundry, get shoes repaired or clothes altered, and do a bit of photocopying while you're there. It's handy if you've packed the wrong outfit for a do, or need a card in a hurry. It's on the High Street, a short stroll from the centre.

71 High Street, Odiham
The Odiham Cottage Hospital Shop at 71 High Street is a charity shop raising money for the village's community-owned hospital, which has served the area since 1909.
Volunteers help run it, and it's a good place for a rummage and a bargain. Every purchase helps keep the hospital's services free or low cost for local people. It's open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 4pm, and it's right on the High Street.
Hopefully you won't need any of these, but it's good to know where they are. In an emergency always call 999, and for urgent advice that isn't an emergency call NHS 111.

138 High Street, Odiham
Touchwood Pharmacy at 138 High Street is the village chemist, for prescriptions, everyday remedies and advice.
It offers the NHS Pharmacy First service, so you can get advice and, if needed, treatment for seven common conditions without seeing a GP: sinusitis, sore throat, earache, infected insect bites, impetigo, shingles and uncomplicated urine infections in women. For most of these you can book an online video consultation too. It's on the High Street, a few minutes' walk from the middle of the village.

Deer Park View, Odiham
Odiham Health Centre, at Deer Park View just off the High Street, is the village GP surgery, part of Odiham and Old Basing Health Centres.
It's there for registered patients, so if you're visiting and need medical help that isn't an emergency, call NHS 111 or use 111 online first, and they'll point you to the right place. In an emergency, always call 999. It's about three minutes' walk from the High Street, next to the Deer Park View car park.

Buryfields, Odiham
Odiham Cottage Hospital, on Buryfields, is a community hospital that has looked after the area since 1909, and since 1998 it's been owned by a local charitable trust.
It runs health and social care day services and community nursing, with youth and adult counselling in its annexe, and most services are free or subsidised for local people. It doesn't have an A&E, so in an emergency call 999. It's a three or four-minute walk south of the High Street.

45b High Street, Odiham
Odiham Dental Care is a private dental practice at 45b High Street that has been looking after local teeth since 2009.
It sees adults and children, with check-ups and hygienist appointments as well as cosmetic work, implants, Invisalign and specialist gum treatment. As a visitor, you're most likely to need it in an emergency, so give them a ring if a filling lets you down on holiday. It's right in the middle of the High Street.

2 High Street, Odiham
The Odiham Clinic is a multi-disciplinary clinic in the Old Bakery at 2 High Street, and it's been treating local people for over 25 years.
The team offers osteopathy, acupuncture, deep tissue massage, chiropody and podiatry, homeopathy, hypnotherapy, counselling and nutritional advice. It's a good one to know about if you've overdone the walks and your back or feet are complaining. The receptionists are all locals, and it's on the High Street, an easy walk from the middle of the village.

Bell Meadow Road, Hook
Hook Vets, on Bell Meadow Road in Hook, is the nearest vet practice we know of if your dog needs seeing while you're here.
It treats dogs, cats and small pets, including rabbits and exotics, and it has been part of the IVC (inspiring vet care) group since 2018. You can book appointments online, and there's an emergencies page on its website. It's about four kilometres from Odiham, so you'll need to drive or take a taxi.
For a village, Odiham has a surprising number of salons and barbers, most of them on or just off the High Street, with a few more in North Warnborough. It's worth booking ahead, especially for Saturdays.

82 High Street, Odiham
Millie Jones Hair opened at 82 High Street in November 2025, as the sister salon to Millie Jones in Haslemere.
It's run by Millie and Tanya, both London-trained colourists, and the idea is a London-style salon in a calm, relaxed village setting. There's a team of colourists and stylists, plus Nellie, the salon dog. It's a good choice for a proper colour or cut while you're away, and you can book online.

103 High Street, Odiham
HadleySimmons is a hair salon at 103 High Street that opened in October 2018, with sustainability at the heart of what it does.
That runs from the products it uses to the aftercare it offers, and the team does colour, cuts and styling for women and men. Look for the grey shopfront; inside it's all velvet and reclaimed wood, and there's coffee while you wait. It's closed on Sundays and Mondays, and you can book online or by phone.

85 High Street, Odiham
Backstage Barbers is a men's barbershop at 85 High Street, run by session stylists who've worked in fashion, TV and media.
It's the newest member of a small group of Hampshire salons, and it opens most days, with an early 8am start on Saturdays and a later finish on Thursdays, so it's easy to fit in a cut. You can book online. It's closed on Sundays.

Fountains Mall, High Street, Odiham
Transformations Hair Salon is a small salon in Fountains Mall, in the middle of the High Street.
Listings show cuts, colour, blow-dries and children's haircuts, and it's usually open from Tuesday to Saturday, with a later finish on Wednesdays. It's best to call to book. It's a handy option if you need a quick tidy-up or a blow-dry before a night out.

Fountains Mall, High Street, Odiham
Beautique is a friendly beauty and nail salon in Fountains Mall, run by Keely and Kirsty, who bring more than 25 years' experience in the beauty industry.
Treatments include Bio Sculpture gel nails, Eve Taylor facials, microblading and semi-permanent make-up, microneedling, dermaplaning and plasma skin tightening. It can also remove skin tags and other harmless skin lesions. You can book online, and it's right in the middle of the High Street.

66 High Street, Odiham
Let's Face It is a health and beauty salon at 66 High Street with a relaxed, friendly feel.
It's known for Environ skin treatments, and also offers Comfort Zone facials and CACI, plus nails and make-up using brands like OPI, Shellac and Jane Iredale. There's a good selection of products to buy, for gifts or to use at home, and vouchers too. A nice option for a bit of pampering while you're away.

108 High Street, Odiham
Odiham Skin Spa, at 108 High Street, is a skin clinic and spa in the heart of the village.
Treatments include HydraFacials, a Japanese head spa with scalp massage and steaming, polynucleotides, and massage and aromatherapy. It has a calm, modern feel and suits anyone after a proper treat, whether that's a facial or a relaxing massage after a long walk. You can book online or by phone, and gift certificates are available.

At Let's Face It, 66 High Street, Odiham
Dr Soroya Aesthetics is a small, doctor-led aesthetics clinic, and Dr Emma Soroya sees patients at Let's Face It on the High Street.
She trained in surgery before moving into aesthetic medicine, and she offers anti-wrinkle treatments, dermal fillers, Profhilo and polynucleotides, with a focus on subtle, natural-looking results. Everything starts with a free consultation, and there's no pressure to go ahead there and then. You can book a consultation through her website, and it's right in the middle of the High Street.

Newlyns Farm Shop courtyard, Hook Road, North Warnborough
Studio K is a modern hair salon in the courtyard at Newlyns Farm Shop, run by Kate Goddard, who grew up in Odiham.
The team does cuts, blow-dries, colour, highlights and balayage with Schwarzkopf products, and there are gents' cuts with Kate and children's cuts too. If it's your first colour with them, book the free 10-minute consultation first, as they'll need to do a skin test. Parking is easy, and you can pop into the farm shop or the café while you're there. You can book online.

The Green, North Warnborough
The Beauty Studio is Kirsty's small, friendly beauty salon at Castle Bridge House on The Green in North Warnborough.
She does aromatherapy and Decléor facials, Dermapen microneedling, lash lifts and brow tints, waxing, and manicures and pedicures, including Bio Sculpture gel nails. It's usually open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and you book by phone or email rather than online. Eye treatments need a patch test 24 hours before, so get in touch early if you're only here for a few days.

North Warnborough (home salon)
Beauté by Michèle is a home beauty salon in North Warnborough, run by Michèle, a qualified beauty therapist with nine years' experience.
Lashes are her speciality, from Korean lash lifts to classic, hybrid and Russian volume extensions, and she also does brow lamination and tints, waxing, and microneedling and chemical peel facials. She has a five-star rating from more than 70 reviews, and you can book online. New clients need a patch test at least 24 hours before lash and brow treatments, so book that as soon as you arrive.
Keeping up your routine while you're here? There's a Pilates studio on the High Street and a public pool just outside the village.

108 High Street, Odiham (round the side)
Odiham Skin Spa Studio is a small, peaceful reformer Pilates and yoga studio round the side of Odiham Skin Spa at 108 High Street.
Classes are kept deliberately small, from one-to-ones and duets to small groups, and they suit everyone from beginners to old hands, including people working on their posture or recovering from injury. Afterwards you can add a session in the infrared sauna. There's pay-as-you-go as well as memberships, so you can drop in while you're staying.

RAF Odiham pool, Odiham
Swim Odiham is the pool just outside the village that serves RAF Odiham, and it's open to the public as well as to military personnel and their families.
Sessions include lane swimming, senior lane swims for over-60s, family fun swims with giant mats, and ladies-only sessions with female lifeguards. On Saturdays there are inflatable aqua run pool parties. Session times vary, so check the timetable before you go. It's easiest to get to by car.
Driving an electric car, or need a garage? Here's where to charge up and who to call if the car plays up.

Deer Park View, Odiham
There's a public Be.EV rapid charger in the Deer Park View car park, by the health centre and a couple of minutes from the High Street.
It has two 50kW charge points with CCS connectors and open access, so you can pay by bank card or with the Be.EV app, and it's cheaper in the evening. The car park itself is pay and display. If it's busy, there's another Be.EV charger at the Church Street car park, a few hundred metres away.

Alton Road, South Warnborough
Kings Motors is a local garage on the Alton Road (B3349) in South Warnborough, a few minutes' drive south of Odiham.
It does MOTs, servicing, tyres and diagnostics, and you can book an MOT online. Its online reviews often mention fair prices and help at short notice, which is reassuring if your car plays up while you're away. It's about 5km from the village, so it's not one to walk to.
Run a business in Odiham and spotted something out of date? Let us know using the enquiry form.
Odiham sits in lovely countryside, and some of our favourite places are a short drive away, all within about ten miles. Here's where we send friends for farm-shop food, English wine, gardens, antiques and family days out. Opening times change with the seasons, so check their websites before you set off.
North WarnboroughNewlyns is the Janaway family's farm shop, café and cookery school just outside North Warnborough, and it's the place locals mean when they say they're popping to the farm shop.
The family has farmed in Hampshire since 1918 and opened Newlyns in 2004, with their own beef, lamb and pork at its heart. Under one roof you'll find the Farm Café, the farm shop and butchery, and two independent drinks shops: Caviste for wine and The Spirits Room. It's open seven days a week, with free parking just off the A287.
Newlyns has four food and drink shops under one roof, and Hartley Wintney has a lovely organic grocer.
North WarnboroughNewlyns Farm Shop is where we stock up before a weekend in, with the farm's own meat, homemade ready meals and a proper deli counter.
There's a cheese room championing British artisan cheese, fresh fish and seafood from British waters delivered Tuesday to Saturday, and good fruit, veg and store-cupboard staples. The chef-made ready meals come in sizes for one to six people, which makes for an easy cottage supper. Newlyns gift vouchers work in every department.
North WarnboroughThe butchery is the heart of Newlyns and the reason many people make the trip: beef from the family's own grass-fed herd, plus Hampshire Down lamb and Berkshire pork.
The lambs and pigs are raised on the family farm at Upton Grey. Everything is hung and butchered on site, with beef matured for at least 21 days and a dry-ageing cabinet holding beef for up to six weeks. They make their own sausages and burgers by hand and cure their own bacon, and the butchers are always happy to share cooking tips.
Newlyns, North WarnboroughCaviste is an independent wine merchant with a shop at Newlyns (its other shop is in Overton), and you can usually taste a few wines before you choose.
The shop doesn't hold the whole online range, but anything on the website can be ordered for collection there. They run free barrel-top tastings on many weekends and ticketed evenings such as the Newlyns Christmas tasting, and the events space hosts private tastings and dinners. It's an easy place to pick up a good bottle on the way back to the cottage.
Newlyns, North WarnboroughThe Spirits Room, Caviste's sister shop at Newlyns, is a treat for whisky and rum fans, with shelves of single malts, bourbons, gins, tequila and mezcal.
It leans towards independent bottlers and smaller distilleries, and the team really know their stuff. In the run-up to Christmas there are free barrel-top tastings most weekends, often with the makers themselves, so you can try before you buy. It's a good place to find a present for someone who has everything.
Hartley WintneyOrganically Speaking is an independent organic shop on Hartley Wintney High Street, and it's been going since 1999.
It's a one-stop shop for organic and natural groceries, with zero-waste options, plus chilled foods and fresh vegetables in store, and you can order online for click and collect. It's good for healthy treats, special-diet staples or a few eco-friendly bits, and a nice excuse for a wander along the High Street afterwards.
CrondallSeventeen28 is a small winery and vineyard on Croft Lane in Crondall, the place many locals still know as Penn Croft.
It was founded by Simon Porter and Malcolm Walker, who turned two old barns into a winery in 2020, and it makes small-batch, low-intervention English wine with a real focus on conservation. The cellar door has a wood burner, a covered terrace and local food and cakes, and there are guided tours of the 12-acre vineyard. It's card-only and parking is limited.
West Green, near Hartley WintneyWest Green House Gardens, off Thackham's Lane near Hartley Wintney, is a beautiful walled garden that's long been famous for its tulips.
Tickets are sold on the door, with no need to book a garden visit, and National Trust and RHS members get in free (not for special events). The tearoom serves light lunches, homemade cakes and local ice cream from Wednesday to Sunday in the garden season. From 28 November to 30 December the garden becomes an illuminated Christmas trail, which does need booking.
Hartley WintneyHartley Wintney is known for its antique shops, and Hartley Antiques on the High Street is the best place to start, with more than 30 dealers over three floors.
It covers art, silver, jewellery, glass, furniture, clocks, rugs and collectables, from antique to contemporary, whatever your budget. When you need a sit-down, the Courtyard Café serves breakfast, lunch and afternoon tea. It's open seven days a week, and the rest of the High Street, with its pubs and independent shops, is right outside the door.
Hound Green, near HookThe Plant Centre at Hortus Loci, at Hound Green near Hook, is part of a big wholesale nursery, so the choice is huge.
Plant Centre customers have access to more than 4,000 varieties of perennials, shrubs, roses, trees and hedging, often including the latest new introductions, at competitive prices. It's open seven days a week (Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm, Sunday 10am to 4pm), and there's a click-and-collect web shop if you'd rather choose before you go. Keen gardeners, leave room in the boot.
For a proper treat, afternoon tea at Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in Dogmersfield is hard to beat, served in the Drawing Room of a restored 18th-century Georgian manor.
The hotel sits in 500 acres just a few miles from Odiham. Afternoon tea is served from 12.30pm to 5.30pm, with the last seating at 4.30pm, and it must be booked ahead. There's a spa with pools and treatments too; check with the hotel about spa access if you're not staying there.
Old Basing, BasingstokeBasing House, in Old Basing on the edge of Basingstoke, is the ruin of what was once the largest private house in Tudor England, besieged by Oliver Cromwell in the Civil War.
Start at the visitor centre, step inside the battle-scarred Great Barn of 1535, then explore the ruins, the Jacobean walled garden and the museum. The 14 acres of grounds are great for a picnic or a walk with the dog, and the free car park is a short stroll along the River Loddon. The Christmas Fayre is on 28 and 29 November.
Things to do with children within a short drive, whatever the weather.
Bowenhurst Lane, CrondallBallerz Clubhouse, on Bowenhurst Lane near Crondall, is an indoor games venue with interactive mini golf, duckpin bowling, darts, shuffleboard and electric shooting.
Evenings are aimed at grown-up groups, with cocktails and street food, but families are welcome during the day for some competitive fun. Games start from £6 a person and you book online. It's closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, so check the opening hours before you set off.
Sherfield-on-LoddonWoodland Garden Adventure Golf, at Capital Gardens in Sherfield-on-Loddon, is a new 18-hole mini golf course with a leafy, botanical theme.
The holes wind through woodland planting, water features and garden spaces, and it's designed for all ages and abilities, so little ones can join in. Tee times are every 15 minutes, parking is free, and The Greenhouse Café on site does lunches, pastries and ice creams for afterwards. It's on the far side of Hook, about 20 minutes away.
near Up NatelyPennybridge Alpacas, close to junction 5 of the M3 near Up Nately, was one of the first alpaca herds in southern England, and it runs a two-hour Alpaca Experience.
You get a farm safety talk, help with feeding and jobs, then a halter walk with an alpaca lasting at least 20 minutes. Over-11s can lead an alpaca with a responsible adult, and under-18s must be accompanied. It's a walk alongside the alpacas, not a ride, and dogs aren't allowed, as the herd is wary of new animals.
BasingstokeMilestones Museum in Basingstoke is a whole indoor village of Hampshire's past, with recreated streets, shops and transport to wander through.
Children love the 1940s sweet shop, where you buy treats with a ration book, and because it's all under one roof it's a great rainy-day plan. In December there's the Christmas Market (5 and 6 December), Father Christmas in his grotto and an immersive A Christmas Carol experience. It's a little beyond our usual radius, but worth the drive.
Odiham is surrounded by pretty villages and a couple of bigger towns, all within about ten miles. Here's a quick guide to each, roughly nearest first, with our favourite pub, walk or attraction and roughly how long it takes to drive there from the High Street.
HampshireNorth Warnborough is Odiham's next-door neighbour, part of the same parish and just north-west of the High Street, with the Basingstoke Canal running right through it and the River Whitewater to the north. The canal's lift bridge is a favourite photo stop, and the towpath carries on west towards the ruins of Odiham Castle.
It's also where you'll find two of the pubs in our guide, The Mill House and The Anchor, and Newlyns, the farm shop and café everyone round here swears by.
Highlights: Newlyns farm shop and café · Pubs: The Mill House and The Anchor
HampshireGreywell is a tiny, very pretty village on the west bank of the River Whitewater, about a mile and a half west of Odiham, and a past winner of Best Kept Village in Hampshire. It has 29 Grade II listed buildings, so it's popular with photographers as well as walkers and cyclists.
At the centre of the village is the Fox and Goose pub, which is in our eat and drink guide, and the medieval ruins of Odiham Castle are close by on the canal. It's an easy, flat walk from Odiham along the towpath.
Highlights: The Fox and Goose · Walks from Odiham
HampshireSouth Warnborough is a small, quiet village about three miles south of Odiham on the road towards Alton, with Upton Grey to the west and Long Sutton to the east. It's lovely rolling countryside for a drive or a bike ride.
The village pub, The Poacher Inn on Alton Road, is a traditional, family-friendly country pub serving pub classics with views over the fields, and it posts its live music and quiz nights on Facebook. It pairs nicely with a stop in Upton Grey or Long Sutton on the same loop.
Highlights: The Poacher Inn
HampshireLong Sutton is a small village about three miles south of Odiham, with brick and half-timbered cottages, a farmhouse dating from Tudor times and All Saints Church. The line of the Harrow Way, one of the oldest roads in England, runs through the village, and Lord Wandsworth College sits in 1,200 acres of farmland nearby.
For a drink, the Four Horseshoes is a traditional country pub with two real fires, a conservatory and views over north Hampshire. It keeps limited hours and holds a monthly quiz, so check before you go.
Highlights: The Four Horseshoes
HampshireUpton Grey is a classic Hampshire village a few miles south-west of Odiham, with a village pond and St Mary's Church. It's proper farming country: the Janaway family's Berkshire pigs, sold in the Newlyns butchery, are reared outdoors in the fields around the village.
The village pub, The Hoddington Arms (“The Hodd”), is a Grade II-listed, family-run country pub with open fires and seasonal food, and it reopened in June 2026 after a fire. The manor's Gertrude Jekyll garden is now permanently closed to visitors.
Highlights: The Hoddington Arms
HampshireHook is the nearest big village to Odiham, just north of junction 5 of the M3, and it's where you'll head for practical things. Hook station has direct trains to London Waterloo and Basingstoke, and there's a large Tesco. The village has grown a lot in recent years, though The White Hart (pictured) still stands on the A30.
On Sunday 6 December, Christmas in the Park fills Hartletts Park, and nearby you'll find Pennybridge Alpacas and the Hortus Loci plant centre at Hound Green.
Highlights: Hook Christmas in the Park, 6 Dec · Pennybridge Alpacas
HampshireDogmersfield is a small, leafy village between Fleet and Hartley Wintney, with the Basingstoke Canal running through it. It appears in the Domesday Book as “Doccemere feld”, and Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur are said to have stayed here.
Today it's best known for Four Seasons Hotel Hampshire in Dogmersfield Park, and for the Queens Head, a 17th-century country pub with log fires and gardens, where dogs are welcome in the garden and on the terrace. All Saints Church (pictured) is worth a look too.
Highlights: The Queens Head · Afternoon tea at Four Seasons
HampshireWinchfield is a small, scattered rural parish between Odiham and Hartley Wintney, taking in Potbridge, Winchfield Hurst and Shapley Heath. It's mostly fields and quiet lanes, with a church, a village hall rebuilt in 1998 and a mix of old and new homes.
It has a station on the South West Main Line, handy for trains to London Waterloo and Basingstoke, and right by it on Station Hill is The Winchfield Inn, a 17th-century inn that's now a family-run pub, restaurant and B&B.
Highlights: The Winchfield Inn
HampshireHartley Wintney is a handsome large village with a wide Hampshire high street lined with independent shops, pubs and cafés, and it's well known for its antique shops. Start at Hartley Antiques, where more than 30 dealers fill three floors, then pop into Organically Speaking for organic groceries.
West Green House Gardens is just outside the village, with its famous tulips in spring and an illuminated Christmas trail from 28 November. The village is twinned with Saint-Savin in France and Malle in Belgium.
Highlights: Hartley Antiques · West Green House Gardens
HampshireCrondall is a pretty village on the gentle western slopes of the North Downs, with a long history: there are remains of a Roman villa in the parish, and a hoard of Anglo-Saxon and Merovingian coins found here is known as the Crondall Hoard. It's in the Domesday Book, and Winchester Cathedral held much of its land from 975 until 1861.
These days it's home to two of our favourite outings: Seventeen28, the winery and vineyard on Croft Lane that many still call Penn Croft, and the Ballerz Clubhouse games venue on Bowenhurst Lane.
Highlights: Seventeen28 winery · Ballerz Clubhouse
HampshireEwshot is a small village on the Hampshire side of the Surrey border, between Fleet and Farnham. Its name comes from Old English and means a corner of land where yew trees grow. St Mary's Church (pictured) was founded in 1873, and Bricksbury Hill, a mile to the east, rises to 187 metres.
The village has one pub, The Windmill on Church Lane, listed as an Asset of Community Value in 2014. It has real fires, home-cooked food and a big rear garden with country views and an 18-hole pitch and putt. A new landlord took over in July 2026, so check what's on before you go.
Highlights: The Windmill pub
HampshireChurch Crookham is a large village on the southern edge of Fleet. Once a separate village, it's now more suburban than the places closer to Odiham, but the Basingstoke Canal runs through it (pictured), which makes it a good start or finish for a longer towpath walk or cycle ride back towards Odiham.
Fleet's shops and restaurants are just up the road, and Ewshot and Crondall are a few minutes to the south, so it's easy to fit into a day exploring this side of Hart.
Highlights: The Basingstoke Canal towpath
SurreyFarnham is a lively Surrey market town just over the county border, and our favourite bigger day out. Its Saxon name is generally agreed to mean “meadow where ferns grow”, and Castle Street (pictured), lined with listed buildings, climbs up to Farnham Castle, built in 1138 for Bishop Henry de Blois. Henry VIII is known to have lived there at 16.
Today the town has plenty of independent shops, cafés and restaurants, and each March it hosts the Farnham Literary Festival (4 to 14 March 2027) at venues across town, including Farnham Maltings and the Town Hall.
Highlights: Farnham Castle · Farnham Literary Festival, March
HampshireBasingstoke is the big town to the west, an old market town mentioned in the Domesday Book that grew rapidly from the 1960s and is now the largest settlement in Hampshire without city status. It still has a regular market, and its Market Place (pictured) is in the older part of town.
For a day out, Milestones Museum is great with children, and Basing House in Old Basing, on the edge of town, is one of the most interesting historic sites in Hampshire.
Highlights: Milestones Museum · Basing House
Odiham is easy to reach without a car. Hook station is under 3 miles away, with fast trains to and from London Waterloo, and a bus or a short taxi ride brings you into the village.

The nearest station, with direct trains to London Waterloo in about 55 minutes. From here it's about 10 minutes to Odiham by taxi or car, or hop on the bus.
Stagecoach bus 13 (Basingstoke to Alton and Bordon) stops right by Hook station, at the Hook Rail Station stop on the southbound side. It's about 7 minutes to Odiham: get off at Odiham, opp Crownfields on Alton Road, then it's about a 5-minute walk to the High Street.
From Monday to Saturday the bus runs roughly every hour, from about 6am until the last one at around 8pm. On Sundays there are only about six buses, between mid-morning and early evening, and there's no late-evening service any day, so check times before you travel.
A taxi from Hook station to Odiham takes about 10 minutes. There isn't always one waiting at the station, especially in the evening, so it's best to book ahead. Arriving by car? Odiham is about 10 minutes from junction 5 of the M3.