Royal Oak, Lyndhurst

Facebook page of Royal Oak - www.facebook.com

Official site of Royal Oak - royaloakfritham.co.uk

Facebook page of Royal Oak - www.facebook.com

Official site of Royal Oak - royaloakfritham.co.uk

This is a cosy, two-room rural pub found at the end of a country road in the northern part of the New Forest National Park. Entry leads into a bare boarded room with half-height tongue and groove panelling and plain painted walls above, with a small servery tucked away in the rear left corner. Limited tables and chairs are arranged down either side of the room, with a large, lit stone fireplace providing a warm focal point on the back wall. The bar itself is a very basic wood-panelled affair with a whitewashed brick bar back, dominated by a stillage full of casks. Traditional rural-themed paintings line the walls, including a particularly large piece above the fireplace, and there’s a nice timber-framed arch in the centre of the room with dark wood beams. Steps lead down to a small overspill room to the rear offering a few additional seats, although signs make clear that this is a small pub where sharing tables is often necessary, much like in a micropub. A large marquee outside provides further overspill space during busy periods. The beer range was extensive, served straight from the stillage, and included Cerne Abbas Tiger Tom, Flowerpots Cheriton Porter, options from Bowman and Flack Manor, and at least four other local breweries, although not all were easy to identify without pump clips or a beer board. The Tiger Tom was in fine shape and slipped down easily after a bit of a trek out here across the Forest. The sign wasn't wrong and it looked like we were going to have to share a table with someone until a couple upped and left just as our drinks were served. I thought this was a very cosy little refuge that provided a welcome sight after yomping out here from some distant part of the National Park. It's not the easiest pub to reach, even by car, but the effort seems well worth it and I was impressed with the quality of their stillage ales - a format of dispense where top quality isn't always assured. I've generally been a bit underwhelmed by pubs that I've tried in the New Forest, but I thought this was a cracker and the sort of place you will be well rewarded for seeking out. Date of visit – 29th December 2024

Tiny country pub hidden away in the northern New Forest, but in a popular walking / cycling area so it needs a huge (partly covered) bee garden. Indoors, just a compact bar and snug-sized dining room to the rear, with a kitchen squeezed somewhere at the back. Modern toilets now in a separate wooden building to one side. Six real ales from eight casks on stillage, including several local beers such as Red Cat's Mosaic Pale (£4.60) and Sea Wall from Monkey (£2.30, half).

The New Forest is a lovely area to tour around and the Royal Oak certainly seems to be one of the highlights for pubgoers. Unfortunately, the good old English weather played a significant part in our visit here. It was throwing it down on our arrival and with drinking only possible outdoors, everybody was crowded under 2 tents, with water pouring in and muddy conditions underfoot. It was a stark reminder of what pubs could face this winter, assuming the virus is still around. Despite drinking outdoors, you could still enter one by one inside to order ales served directly from the cask. Regular ales are Flack Manor Flack's Double Drop, Bowman Royal Oak (Wallops Wood)& Hop Back Summer Lightning. Guests were Stonehenge Heel Stone & Triple fff Old Drag. Nice country pub, but somewhat spoiled by the British weather and current circumstances.