national park
New Forest National Park
Ancient royal hunting ground where wild ponies and deer roam freely through 219 square miles of heathland, woodland and coastal marshes.
15 km · about 30 min drive
EuropeUnited KingdomEngland
Romsey
England, United Kingdom · Europe
About Romsey
Romsey works well as a base: 10 minutes from North Baddesley, 15km from New Forest National Park.
Romsey is in England, United Kingdom, with about 17,000 people. You drive on the left here. The nearest town is North Baddesley, about 4 km away.
Romsey ( ROM-zee) is a town and civil parish in the Test Valley district of Hampshire, England. The town is situated 7 miles (11 km) northwest of Southampton, 11 miles (18 km) southwest of Winchester and 17 miles (27 km) southeast of Salisbury. It sits on the outskirts of the New Forest, just over 3 miles (4.8 km)Read more
northeast of its eastern edge. The population of the parish of Romsey was 14,768 at the 2011 census.
Romsey is one of the principal towns in the Test Valley borough and lies on the River Test, which is known for fly fishing, predominantly trout. In 2019, the town centre underwent substantial remodelling, removing the roundabout around the statue of Lord Palmerston, and creating a pedestrianised area.
Romsey was home to the 17th-century philosopher and economist William Petty and the 19th-century British prime minister, Lord Palmerston, whose statue has stood in the town centre since 1857. The town was also home to the 20th-century naval officer and statesman Louis Mountbatten, 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma, who lived at Broadlands. Romsey Abbey, the largest parish church in Hampshire, dominates the centre of the town. Other notable buildings include a 13th-century hunting lodge, an 18th-century coaching inn and the 19th-century corn exchange.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is there to see near Romsey?
Within an hour or so of Romsey: New Forest National Park (15 km), Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary (17 km), National Motor Museum Beaulieu (19 km), Rhinefield Ornamental Drive (19 km).
Are there any good drives near Romsey?
The nearest famous roads are Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, Military Road, Isle of Wight and Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Where is Romsey?
Romsey is in England, United Kingdom, about 4 km from North Baddesley.
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Quick Information
- Population
- 17,161
- Continent
- Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Region
- England
- Timezone
- Europe/London
- Coordinates
- 50.9891, -1.4999
Emergency & Services
Essential numbers in United Kingdom
112 also works. NHS non-emergency medical advice: 111. National Highways breakdown assistance on motorways: 0300 123 5000.
Full driving guide for United KingdomTags
Worth the detour from Romsey
8 notable places within an hour's drive.
natural wonder
Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary
A New Forest clearing with a raised viewing platform where fallow deer are fed most afternoons in summer.
17 km · about 20 min drive
museum
National Motor Museum Beaulieu
Set in the grounds of a historic abbey, it houses over 250 vehicles telling the story of motoring from 1893 to the present.
19 km · about 20 min drive
famous road
Rhinefield Ornamental Drive
A New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
19 km · about 20 min drive
landmark
Beaulieu
A New Forest village around a 13th-century abbey and the Montagu estate, at the head of the tidal Beaulieu River.
19 km · about 20 min drive
cathedral
Salisbury Cathedral
Masterpiece of Early English Gothic architecture boasting Britain's tallest spire at 123 metres and housing the finest surviving Magna Carta.
22 km · about 25 min drive
landmark
Buckler’s Hard
A single Georgian street running down to the Beaulieu River, built as a shipbuilding village that supplied Nelson's navy.
22 km · about 25 min drive
ancient ruins
Old Sarum
The vast earthwork ramparts of the original Salisbury, an Iron Age hillfort later holding a Norman castle and first cathedral.
24 km · about 30 min drive
Driving roads near Romsey
- 19 kmRhinefield Ornamental DriveA New Forest road lined with giant redwoods and Douglas firs planted in 1859, running between Brockenhurst and the A35.
- 40 kmMilitary Road, Isle of WightThrilling clifftop road along the southwest coast of the Isle of Wight with sweeping sea views and access to dramatic landslip scenery.
- 52 kmBallard DownThe chalk ridge above Swanage running out to Old Harry Rocks, with views over Poole Harbour and Studland Bay.
- 55 kmGoodwood Festival of SpeedThe hillclimb course on the Goodwood estate driveway where Formula One cars, prewar Grand Prix machinery and rally legends run flat out past a country house each summer. The 1.16-mile course is estate road year-round.
Driving in United Kingdom
- Drives on
- the left
- Petrol
- ~€1.73/litre
- Motorway tolls
- None
When to drive here
April to October
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