The Green Man

Some pub campsites can be very disappointing: even if the pub itself is lovely, the portion allotted for camping is all too often an unloved crisp-packet-strewn patch of ground. Not so at the Green Man, where, over the last few years, landlord Mark has transformed the tatty green he inherited when he took over the pub. What once was only suitable for holding the annual village bonfire is now a beautiful little patch of countryside. Damsons and an enormous old plum tree circle a picnic table, itself tucked into a little dell beneath which runs a narrow and incredibly lazy stretch of the River Itchen. There’s a miniature woodland walk through the trees and each spring a figure of eight course is mown through the high cow parsley. Meanwhile, free-range hens of every hue and shade scratch and strut their way between the tents.

Long Itchington is the self-styled Real Ale Capital of England and it’s a claim that is difficult to dispute. It has six pubs, which for a pretty standard-size village is a remarkable feat in itself, and half of them (the Green Man included) feature in the Good Beer Guide, while the other three also serve real ale. There’s no food at the Green Man, but a fish-and-chip van stops outside the pub on Friday nights at 7:30pm and comes highly recommended. Furthermore, all five other pubs in the village serve food and are a short stagger away.