The Royal Oak Pub in Fritham (near Lyndhurst) was a lovely little pub and the perfect place for a break from walking. They only serve food at lunchtimes (12.00 to 15.00) so the selection on offer would be classified as light bites in other establishments. They have a strict policy of no sandwiches and no chips, which seemed to confuse some, but made a refreshing change to some of the chain pubs out there. All of the food is homemade and fresh and includes items such as soup, pork pie, full ploughman's with local meat and chesses and fantastic quiches. There is also a good selection of real ale, but it isn't my bag so can't comment on the quality.

Inside is quite small and the toilets are across a small courtyard (I guess to maximise internal space) so if the weather is grim you may struggle to find seating. We got a table without any problems after arriving at 12.30, but by 13.00 there were lots of people looking for seats. They had log fires burning which gave the pub a nice cosy feel. We thoroughly enjoyed our lunchtime break here.More