Things to Do in Brockenhurst: A New Forest Day Out at the Brewery
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Brockenhurst sits right in the middle of the New Forest, and it is one of the easiest places in Hampshire to reach without a car. Here is how to build a day around it that finishes at a working brewery on the edge of the village.
Arrive by train and leave the car at home
Brockenhurst Railway Station has regular direct services from London Waterloo, Southampton, Poole and Bournemouth. That single fact shapes the whole day, because it means nobody has to be the designated driver.
From the station, PIG BEER is a two minute taxi ride. The taxi rank is on the ticket office side of the station, or you can call Brockenhurst Taxis on 01590 615141. If you would rather come by bus, the number 6 between Southampton and Lymington stops a six minute walk away, at the Filly Inn stop on Setley Road.
Walk or cycle through the forest
If the weather is on your side, walk it. There are mapped walking routes to the brewery on OS Maps, including a scenic route from Brockenhurst station, a quieter one along country roads, and one from Roundhill Campsite. They are mainly forest, track and country road, so they are daylight routes rather than after dark ones.
Cyclists are well looked after at the other end, with bike anchor points at the brewery. Muddy boots are not a problem either.
Bring the dog
Dogs are welcome in the tap room and beer garden. We just ask that they are kept on leads, and there is water available for them.
Eat while you are there
At weekends there are often guest street food vendors at PIG BEER, and in summer we run our own weekend pizza kitchen. Bar snacks are available all year. What is on which weekend is listed on the What's On page at pigbeer.com, so it is worth a look before you set off.
Drinks for everyone, including the driver
The bar serves our own beers alongside guest beers, cider, wine, prosecco, spirits, soft drinks and iced coffee. There is also 0% beer from Clearhead and 0% prosecco, which makes the trip work for anyone who is driving or simply not drinking.
Time it right: tap room opening hours
Opening times change with the season, so it is worth a quick check before you travel.
May to September: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 9pm, Sunday 12pm to 8pm
October to December: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 8pm, Sunday 12pm to 6pm
January to February: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 6pm, Sunday 12pm to 5pm
March to April: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm, Friday and Saturday 12pm to 8pm, Sunday 12pm to 7pm
Hours may vary during events and holidays, so the What's On page is the place to confirm. You do not need to book a table for the tap room. Just come along.
Add a brewery tour
If you want to see how the beer is actually made, book a tour and build the day around it.
Tours run on selected Saturdays with two sittings, at 12:00 and 14:00, and they last about 90 minutes. Tickets are £15 per person with the booking fee included. The next dates are Saturday 5 September and Saturday 19 September 2026.
Harry, our head brewer and co-founder, takes you through how the beer gets from a sack of grain to a finished PIG BEER, and through the history of the brewery. You get hands on with the ingredients, there is plenty of beer along the way, and you take home one of our bar blades at the end.
Two things to know. Tours are over 18s only and we run a Challenge 25 policy, so please bring ID. And unlike the tap room, tours must be booked in advance, because each sitting is limited to 15 places.
One access note: there is a disabled toilet on site, but the brewery is an outdoor space and the ground is uneven in places. If you have any questions about access, call 01590 607237 before you book.
A 12:00 tour leaves the whole afternoon free in the beer garden, which is the way most people seem to do it.
Take something home
There is an onsite brewery shop selling bottles, mini kegs and merchandise, and you can fill your own container, flask or growler straight from the draft taps.
Find us
PIG BEER, Hops House, Brockenhurst, SO42 7UF. Just off the A337 main road to Lymington, with a free onsite car park. Call 01590 607237 or email hello@pigbeer.com.
