Top Things to do in Hook
Top Restaurants in Hook
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5 Hidden Gems Things to do in Hook That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Hook, United Kingdom including Pennybridge Farm Alpacas, John Pinkerton Canal Cruises, West Green House, Odiham Castle, Eversley Barn Antiques.
Restaurants in Hook
1. Pennybridge Farm Alpacas
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 172 reviews
Reviewed By R381XXmiket - Fleet, United Kingdom
This was a fantastic, although quite unusual, way to spend a morning in the middle of Autumn. The main reason for visiting this activity was because one of my daughters has been obsessed with Llamas and Alpacas (is there really much difference?) for a very long time. At this point any of you imagining that this is in any way "cute" and thinking of an 8-year-old girl loving these animals then you should prepare yourself for the news that she is in fact 22! Nonetheless, love them she did and is, alarmingly, now even more besotted after a happy 2 hours spent among her new 'friends'. The farm is well set up with a surprisingly large fleet (herd?) of Alpacas. We were expecting maybe 10 and there must have been over 100. Not only that, they come in a wide range of shapes, sizes and colour schemes and are imbued with many different personalities and characters. The owners / Alpaca Keepers were interesting and knowledgeable and clearly love their fluffy headed and amusing population. Impressively, they knew the names of each and every craeture and some of them looked very similar; at least to my untrained eye. Under clear blue skies on a typically crisp British weather morning, the experience started with an introductory talk in which we learned everything you ever wanted to know about Alpacas and, for some people, a number of things that you probably didn't want to know. We then witnessed feeding time, met various groups of animals of different ages and genders before moving on to the highlight which was to walk your very own Alpaca (well technically one on a temporary loan) around a circuit of the farm ……….. on a lead! Ours was called Clyde and he was quite aloof. Overall the morning was a mixture of fun and education and the, significantly larger than I was expecting, crowd all seemed to enjoy themselves. There was definitely an element of the 'feel good factor' and we certainly left in brighter spirits than we had arrived in. Logistically the facilities are fairly basic; the car park is quite small, there is only one loo which resulted in the inevitable queueing and the anticipation of enjoying the promised free tea and coffee was somewhat hindered by the hot water running out. At the end of the walking phase the staff were very happy for people to stay and ask questions and there is a small shop with some Alpaca Merch’. I have a feeling that my daughter will become too attached to her new Alpaca sweatshirt for someone of her age. As if Alpacas, free hot drinks, sunshine and Merch’ wasn’t enough, there were also trampolining goats but that’s a story for another time.
2. John Pinkerton Canal Cruises
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Enjoy a relaxing cruise on the Basingstoke Canal at Odiham on board 'John Pinkerton II', the trip boat belonging to the Basingstoke Canal Society. You can book a trip or charter the boat as required.
3. West Green House
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 308 reviews
A stunning ten acre garden restored by Australian garden designer Marylyn Abbott over the last twenty years. Combining a classical Lakefield design with a blend of formal and informal planting, English traditions and Australian flair, West Green offers intimacy and spectacle in a country setting. Access to the beautiful Victorian greenhouses is included and a visit to the formally planted vegetable garden is a must! West Green also offers a Tea Room and shop, is entirely accessible for those with limited mobility and each year hosts the West Green House Season of Music and Opera in July. Please note that West Green House is privately owned and not open to the general public. West Green house is not administered by the National Trust and the gardens and arrangements are maintained and funded privately. Visitors may use their National Trust cards for free entry during normal opening hours, due to the generosity of West Green House Management.
Reviewed By Penners64 - Camberley, United Kingdom
Saw the Christmas lights last night. A lovely way to start Christmas. The lights were fabulous and the staff were superb. In particular Peter in the car park was so helpful and Martina in the food kiosk was so welcoming and friendly. You must try the sausage rolls, delicious. Thank you all.
4. Odiham Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 180 reviews
Reviewed By johnmW5491IS - Hook, United Kingdom
King John’s Castle is a small and mostly ruined stone hunting lodge. The footprint is still visible and the local historical society has both identified and indicated the relevant areas of the building. The most important fact, is that the “castle” was where King John stayed on the nights before he rode to Runnymede to sign the Magna Carta. The route is along the Basingstoke Canal towpath heading west from Odiham at the bridge over the canal at the North Warnborough side of the village. It is on level ground (it’s a canal stupid) but the path is narrow and is often a tad muddy in poor weather. Go, try, enjoy ????
5. Eversley Barn Antiques
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 19 reviews
