Hinton Ampner from Hayling Island: a country house, garden and estate walks near Sandy Point

Hinton Ampner is a National Trust country house, garden and estate in the South Downs National Park, on the A272 near Alresford, about 28 miles, or roughly 45 to 50 minutes by car from Wittering Sands, our exclusive-use house at 14 Wittering Road, Hayling Island PO11 9SP. It sits 1 mile west of Bramdean village and 8 miles east of Winchester.

It is one of the better winter days out within an hour of the house. The garden, estate and café stay open through most of the colder months, dogs on short leads are welcome across most of the site, and there is a big Christmas event in the house from mid-November. This guide covers the story of the house, what to see, the estate walks, dogs, families, winter opening and getting there.

What is Hinton Ampner?

Hinton Ampner is the 20th-century vision of Ralph Dutton, 8th and last Baron Sherborne, a collector and writer who inherited the family home in 1935. He disliked the Victorian Gothic house he grew up in and had it remodelled between 1936 and 1939 in an elegant Georgian Revival style. After a serious fire in 1960, he rebuilt and refurnished it straight away in the same style. When he died in 1985, he left the whole estate to the National Trust.

Dutton planned the house, garden and park as one, with the best views framed from the rooms. That is what makes a visit feel joined up: you look out from the drawing room over the garden, then walk out into the same view.

Is Hinton Ampner haunted?

It has a famous ghost story. Between 1765 and 1772 the house was rented by William Henry Ricketts and his wife Mary. While William was away in Jamaica, Mary wrote of hearing doors slamming in the night and other strange events. A version of her account was published as A Hampshire ghost story in The Gentleman's Magazine in 1872, and Hinton Ampner became known as one of the most haunted houses in Georgian England. The National Trust notes that Henry James's novel The Turn of the Screw (1898) is thought to have been partly inspired by it. The original house where it happened was demolished in 1793 and a new one built on the present site, so the house you visit today is a later one, but it is a good story for a dark November evening back at Sandy Point.

What can you see in the house?

• The Entrance Hall: a black and white marble floor laid after the fire, and a porphyry chimneypiece salvaged from Hamilton Palace in Lanarkshire.
• The Dining Room: a Robert Adam ceiling, installed in 1939 after it was rescued from a house being demolished in Berkeley Square. Half of it was lost in the 1960 fire and it was carefully restored from Adam's original designs.
• The Library and Sitting Room: the library was rebuilt much as it was before the fire, and many items in the sitting room were saved by firemen passing them out through the windows.
• Upstairs: Ralph Dutton's own bedroom and his 1930s black-panelled bathroom, and the South Suite, reopened after fourteen years of conservation work.
• The collection: British and European paintings, Regency furniture, 18th-century French porcelain and one of the finest groups of Italian hardstone-inlaid furniture in the National Trust.

What is the garden like in autumn and winter?

The garden is laid out as a series of rooms, with long views south over the Downs:

• The Walled Garden: about one and a half acres, thought to date back to the Tudor house, with vegetable beds and borders. Produce from the kitchen garden is used in the café. Inside is a warm glasshouse with a changing display of exotic houseplants.
• The lily pool, flanked by a pair of stone sphinxes, and the Sunken Garden, created in 1934.
• The long walk: a grass path of over 200 yards lined with clipped Irish yews, leading to the old tennis court and a small temple built around 1939.
• The Dell: an old chalk pit planted with evergreens, with a marked Silent Space for quiet time.

In October the garden is dressed with pumpkin displays. The Trust notes that some areas are roped off in wet weather, when paths become slippery, and the welcome team will tell you what is open on the day.

Which estate walks can you do?

The estate has around 10 km of paths, all natural surfaces, and the walks start from a board by the church. The National Trust lists three:

• Stewkeley Walk: just under 2 miles, about an hour, across open countryside towards the village of Kilmeston and back. A good choice with children or on a short winter afternoon.
• Dutton Estate Walk: 4 miles (6.4 km), rated moderate, about two hours. Open downland with views over the South Downs, then ancient woodland and long beech avenues. The Trust warns it can be muddy throughout the winter months and after heavy rain, and there are small country lanes to cross.
• Battle of Cheriton walk: about 2 to 2.5 hours from Hinton Ampner church, following the ground of the Civil War battle fought nearby on 29 March 1644, an important Parliamentarian victory.

In winter, look out for woodcock, redwing and fieldfare. Sussex cattle graze parts of the estate, and livestock are on the land all year. Wear boots with a good grip.

For more walking, our South Downs guide covers hill walks closer to the house, and our winter walks and birdwatching guide has the harbour walks from the door at Sandy Point.

Can you take a dog?

Yes. Hinton Ampner is a two pawprint rated place in the National Trust's dog scheme.

• Dogs are welcome on short leads across the site, including the garden, estate, shop and second-hand bookshop.
• Dogs are not allowed in the house (assistance dogs are welcome) or in the main café serving space, but there is indoor and outdoor seating where dogs are welcome.
• On the estate, keep dogs on a lead or under close control all year because of the cattle. Between March and August they must be on a lead to protect ground-nesting birds.
• Water bowls and dog bins are provided, and there is a bin opposite the church at the start of the estate walks.
• The Trust's Pooch Passport runs from 1 September 2026 to 28 February 2027, so you can pick up a passport and a property stamp.

For more dog days out, see our dog-friendly Hayling Island guide and our Gilbert White's House and Selborne guide, which is about 20 minutes' drive to the north-east.

Is it good for families?

Yes, especially for younger children.

• The tennis lawn is flat and surrounded by hedging, a safe place to run about. The South Parkland below the house has more open space, close to the café and toilets.
• The café, in the old stables, serves children's meals, and you are welcome to bring a picnic. There are benches in the garden and parkland.
• Buggies are welcome throughout the property. For the house, the Trust suggests a front-facing baby carrier, and may ask you to clean pushchair wheels in wet weather. Baby changing is in the courtyard by the house.
• A free family map from visitor reception shows picnic spots and places to explore.

What is on this autumn and winter?

• Pumpkin displays: around 500 pumpkins around the garden from 17 October to 1 November 2026, with Halloween garden games for children aged 4 to 6.
• A Christmas Wish: from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the house is decorated with trees, wrapped presents and wishing letters, telling the Christmas wishes of four characters, with a hidden stuffed animal to spot in each room. Outside, the Elf Adventures trail has games at every station. The Trust says booking is essential and opens on 29 October.

If you are planning a December stay, our Christmas and New Year guide has more seasonal ideas, and our milestone birthday guide covers family stays for three generations.

When is Hinton Ampner open this winter?

From the National Trust's opening calendar, checked on 20 October 2026:

• Until 24 October: house 11am to 3.30pm; garden and estate 10am to 5pm.
• 25 October to 1 November: the clocks go back on Sunday 25 October, and the garden and estate then close at 4pm. The house stays 11am to 3.30pm.
• 2 to 13 November: the house is closed, but the garden, estate, café and shop are open.
• 14 November to 3 January: the house reopens for A Christmas Wish, 10am to 3.30pm, with the garden and estate open 10am to 4pm. The whole site is closed on 25 and 26 December.
• 4 to 29 January 2027: only the estate is open for walks. The house, garden and café are closed.
• From 30 January 2027: the house, garden and café reopen.

Last entry is one hour before closing. Hours can change, so check the Hinton Ampner page before you set off.

What should you know before you go?

• Tickets: National Trust members get in free. Others can buy house and garden or garden-only tickets, and under 5s go free. Check the National Trust website for current prices rather than relying on a printed figure.
• Parking: free for visitors. On weekends and in school holidays, arrive by 10am for the best chance of a space on the hard standing, and please do not arrive before 9.40am. There is a seasonal overflow car park a couple of minutes' walk up a slope.
• Sat nav: use SO24 0NH, the postcode for the Hinton Arms pub, about 20 metres west of the main gates. The house postcode takes you to the wrong entrance.
• Accessibility: there is a drop-off point by visitor reception, ramped access to the house through a side entrance, accessible toilets in the courtyard and six manual wheelchairs to borrow (booking is recommended at busy times).
• Light: in November and December the garden closes at 4pm, so if you want the house and a longer walk, do the walk first.

How do you get there from Hayling Island?

• By car: leave the island on the A3023 over Hayling Bridge and head north on the A3(M). Online routing then takes you cross-country through the Meon Valley to the A272, about 28.5 miles and 47 minutes in normal traffic. Staying on the A3 to Petersfield and then taking the A272 west is a simpler route but allow a little longer.
• By public transport: the nearest stations are Winchester (9 miles), Petersfield (10 miles) and Alresford (4 miles), which is on the Mid-Hants Railway steam line linked to mainline trains at Alton. The 67 bus between Winchester and Petersfield via Alresford stops within a short walk of the main gates, with no Sunday service. For a group staying with us, the car is far simpler.

What else could you combine it with?

Hinton Ampner is 8 miles from Winchester, so it pairs well with an afternoon in the city: see our Winchester guide. Marwell Zoo is in the same part of Hampshire if the children want animals. For seasonal ideas, see our November weekend guide and October half-term guide. Closer to home, our Around Hayling guide covers beaches, pubs and walks on the island.

Is this a good rainy-day plan?

Partly. On days when the house is open, it gives you time indoors, and the café and glasshouse help too. The garden paths and estate walks are much better on a dry day, as they get muddy and some garden areas are roped off when wet. Between 2 and 13 November and through most of January the house is closed, so save those dates for a dry spell.

What are the stay details?

Check-in at Wittering Sands is from 4pm and checkout is by 10am. The house sleeps up to nine across four bedrooms and five beds, with 3.5 bathrooms. Children are welcome, and infants under 2 are welcome too, with a travel cot and highchair on request. Up to two well-behaved dogs are welcome. The house is for the booked guests only and does not allow parties or events. The minimum stay is usually 3 nights, and the booking calendar shows the minimum for your dates.

Rates vary by season and length of stay. The live calendar shows the current figure for your dates; this guide does not indicate availability.

How do you book?

Check the live booking calendar for current dates and pricing. If you want to talk through the group, dogs or travel plans, get in touch.

Opening times, events, ticketing, dog rules, parking arrangements and bus and train timetables can change. Check the National Trust, the bus operator and National Rail before you travel.