As we celebrate the third official 'Hampshire Day' we've taken a delve into Hampshire's history and fallen more in love with the home of the New Forest than we thought possible. Downton Abbey, Burberry trench coats and champagne - what more could you wish for?!
1) The real Downton Abbey
Every Downton Abbey fan worth their salt knows that the show was filmed at Highclere Castle in Hampshire, but you might not know that the show has deeper links to the county than that. Isis the dog is actually Lord and Lady Carnarvon's (real-life owners of the castle) pet dog, and Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith, was born and raised in Southampton.
2) In the trenches
British luxury fashion house, Burberry, was established in Basingstoke in 1856 by Thomas Burberry. This was after he came across a completely breathable, waterproof fabric called gabardine. His aim was to keep people protected from the unpredictable British weather, and this resulted in the creation of the iconic Burberry trench coat.
3) Better than Champagne
It turns out that Hampshire may actually be better than France at making champagne! A blind-tasting test saw Hambledon Vineyards' non-vintage classic cuvee trump famous French champagnes like Veuve Clicquot, Tattinger and Pol Roger! We'll drink to that...
Celebrate Hampshire Day by bringing the essence of the New Forest into your home. Shop Hampshire here.
