My partner and I were fortunate to be the first people to stay at The Fisherman’s Lodge, and it exceeded our expectations! I will start with Debra and Tony, they were very helpful, instructions were clear and they always responded promptly, even warning us of a road closure on the morning of our arrival.
This really is a secluded get away, and I will start with the exterior and grounds. The land around the lodge has been carefully landscaped, the paths all have lighting and it is very picturesque, there are fish in the lake / pond to the front and we even had some returning ducks to feed, the river and land at the back is also stunning and would be great for fishing. You can tell that the owners have thought of everything, great attention to detail, and the lodge must have been a real labour of love to build.
Internally it has everything you could wish for, it is finished to a very high standard, lovely comfortable sofa and double bed, (we didn't use the second bedroom), under-floor heating, all the kitchen facilities and utensils you could possibly need. It was so lovely that we didn't really want to go out, a perfect place to chill out and look at the beautiful land and countryside from every window, and the bi-folding doors and veranda / decking were fantastic, especially when the sun was out.
We stayed 3 nights and we honestly didn't want to leave, I could go on, and on, with the praise.
Fordingbridge has some friendly pubs which offer good food, especially The Ship, and has a few lovely shops and a huge Co-op for all your groceries. You do need a car, but the lodge is a perfect base to explore New Forest and the surrounding areas, and we also used the Arniss riding stables for a one hour trek which was fun.