The Old Post Office

About

A dog-friendly historic pad in the heart of the dinky village of Emery Down, sleeping eight guests. It's a perfect choice if you want to be surrounded by forest walks from your doorstep, yet close to the buzz and amenities of Lyndhurst, just a mile or so away.

Soak up the history of this beautifully renovated home, which served the village as a post office for 125 years. The building dates back to 1885, and the owners have been careful to restore and retain as much of the Old Post Office's history by incorporating much of the originality of the building, including its feature letterboxes.

The ground floor has been opened up to create a huge social space to gather for natters and plan the day's activities. Comfy sofas and chairs surround a handsome log burner. The kitchen is a dream for cooks to whizz up quick and easy suppers. The dining area has a huge dining table for board games and post-dinner anecdotes of adventures out in the forest. On the first floor is a sitting room if you want to watch TV, read a good book or just stare out at the far-reaching views with a glass of your favourite tipple in hand. The bedrooms are set over the first and second floors with a family bathroom and a mix of ensuite doubles, twins and a single bedroom.

Outside enormous bi-fold doors unfurl from the kitchen, dining and living area and lead on to the garden and a particularly large terrace with views over the trees.

Considering its small size, Emery Down boasts two super pubs, which are good for food as well as a nice wine and ales. It's just a fifteen-minute walk to the posse of gastro pubs, restaurants, takeaways and cafes of Lyndhurst – so you never really 'need' to cook if you don't want to. The village also has cycle hire to explore designated cycle routes which criss-cross the landscape. Many visitors choose to stock up on artisan goodies from the bakery and store for a picnic and head out across the forest, past the free-roaming ponies, donkeys, cattle and the odd pig or two to find a quiet spot and take in the sights and sounds of this gloriously pretty National Park.