Hampshire Country Pub The Duke on The Test celebrates first birthday

Staff at The Duke on The Test, near Romsey, hosted a day of live music and barbeque street food to mark the occasion with its customers on Saturday, July 8. Special guests at the event included the Mayor of Romsey, Cllr John Ray, and Caroline Noakes MP.

Mark Pinn, general manager at The Duke on The Test, said: “It was a fantastic day and we wanted to share our first anniversary with as many of our customers as possible.

Staff from The Duke on The Test (Image: The Duke on The Test)READ MORE: Marco Pierre White has high praise for Hampshire country pub

“We would like to extend our thanks and deepest gratitude to the wonderful community of Romsey, as well as our loyal customers who have made our first year such a success.

“The Duke on the Test is a wonderful place to meet, eat, drink and sleep in the heart of the Test Valley.  We are a stone’s throw from the River Test which makes for a stunning location for customers. We are a dog-friendly in the bar and can offer a river walk just a few hundred yards from the bar. We are serving delicious home-cooked gastropub dishes alongside local real ales and a fabulous selection of wines and spirits.”

Cllr Ray added: “It was a lovely day and everyone seemed to really enjoy the celebrations. The Duke really is a very nice place to come to eat and enjoy a drink.”

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The Duke on The Test dates back to 1583 when the first hostelry opened on the site. Since then, the pub has had a rich history until its closure awaiting rejuvenation in 2017.

The restored historical and traditional pub has now been extensively refurbished and also extended to include 12 en-suite bedrooms and a sunroom.

The Duke on The Test is managed in conjunction with The Four Horseshoes in Nursling which also benefitted from a significant investment with a refurbishment and extension and successfully reopened in 2019.