Local licensee Karen Slowen has bought the New Forest Inn in the hamlet of Emery Down a mile from the Hampshire town of Lyndhurst.
Slowen, who also owns the Oak Inn in the nearby hamlet of Bank, bought the country inn off an asking price of £195,000.
The building has an unusual history – it incorporates a ‘caravan’ from which a trader sold ales after the land was claimed from the Crown by the use of squatters’ rights in the 1700s.
The business is known for its real ales and good food and is well positioned to benefit from the New Forest walks and cycle tours.
Along with the public bar, the inn offers four letting bedrooms, dining rooms that can seat up to 50 people, three-bedroom owners’ accommodation, a trade terrace, a beer garden, and three disused barns.
The Winchester office of Christie + Co handled the sale on behalf of Glen Johnson.
By Angela Frewin