Discover Royal Victoria Country Park, Southampton
There is so much to do at Royal Victoria Country Park – paddle in the sea, follow a story trail, puff along on a miniature railway, tackle the orienteering course and
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Play, Sail and Paddle at Runnymede Pleasure Grounds
Runnymede Pleasure Grounds is on the banks of the River Thames and is a great place to begin a walk along the Thames Path or explore the memorials of Runnymede. It has an unusual amount to do, including the Runnymede Pleasure Grounds Play Area, a paddling pool, amusements, boat trips along the Thames and a cafe.
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Where to Go… to Travel Back to Prehistoric Times
My children love the idea of the Stone and Iron Ages – flint tools, cave paintings, hill forts, making fire.
Below are some places to imagine your way back in time.
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Follow the Zig-Zag Path up to Explore Selbourne Common
Climbing the Zig-Zag path to Selbourne Common feels like ascending to a magical woodland world, hidden away in the treetops from everyone but you. Selbourne Common is
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Find the Atlantic Wall at Hankley Common, Thursley
With sandy paths galore, James Bond connections and World War 2 remnants, Hankley Common is full of surprises. Hankley Common has beautiful
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Marvel at the Deepcut Flight on Section 4, Basingstoke Canal
Arguably the most interesting stretch of the Basingstoke Canal, this walking or cycle route takes you past 11 of the huge locks that lift the canal 100 feet in just 2 miles
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Hunt for a Stone Age Quarry in Shere Woodlands
A Stone Age quarry hides in the deepest parts of Shere Woodlands. Tracking it down was one of those wild occasions where I began to feel like an explorer…
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Find Witch Bottles and a Cockatrice at Andover Museum
Have you ever heard of a cockatrice? How about witch bottles? Or a hill fort? These are all on display at Andover Museum, along with exhibits about Iron Age
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Ride in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang at Beaulieu, New Forest
Beaulieu is home to all things with motors – everything from famous motors and racing motors, to model motors and vintage motors. You can race model motors at
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See Eight Counties from the Top of St Martha’s Hill
Some say that on a clear day you can see eight counties from the top of St Martha’s Hill! I am not sure about that but the views are picturesque and we did
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Discover Medieval Warfare at Corfe Castle, Wareham
Sitting high on a hill, Corfe Castle guards a gap in the Purbeck Hills, and is a fun castle to explore. Corfe Castle dates back to about 1066 and the Norman invasion of England.
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Climb Dragon Hill, St Catherine’s Hill, Guildford
A walk to St Catherine’s Hill involves the River Wey, bridges, a lock, a sacred spring and water meadows. St Catherine’s Hill used to be called Drakehull (or Dragon Hill)
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Chuff, Chuff, Chuff to Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway
It’s not often you are given the chance to visit the 1940s but a trip on Swanage Railway is one of those occasions! This full-size heritage railway operates a range
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Play Around at Polesden Lacey, Near Dorking
Once described as a ‘delicious house’ by the Queen Mother, Polesden Lacey is a gorgeous place to spend a day, with plenty of places to play and picnic.
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Find Wellington at Wellesley Woodlands, Aldershot
Wellington watches over the start of Wellesley Woodlands’ brass rubbing trail, which leads you through the woods to 10 different posts and a WW1 firing wall complete
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Discover a Waterfall and Roman Ruins at Virginia Water
With woods and paths to explore, places to build hideouts, scooter and cycle tracks, a gorgeous waterfall, some lost ruins from Rome, and a wooden playground,
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Climb to the Hill Fort on Holmbury Hill, Surrey Hills
From the top of Holmbury Hill you can see London’s towers, Gatwick Airport, the South Downs and even the glistening sea. It’s only a five minute walk from the car
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Paddle Amongst the Ruins of Chilworth Gunpowder Mills
Scattered along the River Tillingbourne at Chilworth are what remains of the Chilworth Gunpowder Mills. Today the area has been reclaimed by nature and
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Visit the Pooh’seum and Tea Rooms at Pooh Corner, Hartfield
Built in the sweet shop that A.A. Milne and Christopher Robin used to visit, Pooh Corner is the perfect place to stop for a smackeral of honey when exploring
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Find Fairies and Fossils at Lepe Country Park, Exbury
Lepe Country Park is one of those rare places where you can fill an entire day with everything or nothing! If you need an energy busting day then plan on paddling,
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Find Fairies, Crabs and Shipwrecks at River Hamble CP
The river meanders through River Hamble Country Park, past expensive yachts and a medieval ship wreck, play areas and a World War 2 training camp
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River Hamble Country Park Adventure Play Area, Bursledon
The nautically themed River Hamble Country Park Adventure Play Area has two ships to sail, explore or capture. It has access to the River Hamble, a crabbing
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Find Fossils and a World-Class Sunset at Bracklesham Bay
Bracklesham Bay is probably the place we love to visit the most. As the tide falls, a huge stretch of sand opens up and you can find fossils just lying on the beach
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Walk to Hurst Castle along Hurst Spit, Lymington, New Forest
Hurst Spit is a shingle bank that juts into the Solent, linking Keyhaven and Hurst Castle. It has beautiful views out towards the Isle of Wight and along the Hampshire coast.
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Take the Ferry to Hurst Castle, Lymington, New Forest
Hurst Castle is an artillery fort that was built in the 16th century by Henry VIII to protect the Solent, Southampton and Portsmouth. It is one of the best preserved
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Find “Frith on the Hills” at Watership Down, Kingsclere
One of the things I find fascinating about Watership Down is that Richard Adams based the rabbits’ journey on actual places that can still be visited today. Breathtaking
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Pilot the Cody Flyer at the Farnborough Air Sciences Museum
Farnborough Air Sciences Trust Museum celebrates Farnborough’s aviation heritage and is home to aeroplanes, helicopters, rocket parts, giant wind tunnels*
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Follow the River Wey to Ruins, Locks and a Waterfall, Pyrford
This tranquil stretch of the River Wey offers you a choice of walks – in one direction is Newark Lock and the ruins of Newark Priory and in the other is Papercourt Lock
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Conquer Soldier’s Ring and Crooksbury Hill, Near Farnham
Crooksbury Hill is guarded by Soldier’s Ring, an ancient hill fort now hidden by woodland. Climbing the hill is a mini-adventure. The steep paths rise through
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Step Back in Time at Waverley Abbey, Farnham
The picturesque ruins of Waverley Abbey are surrounded by open fields, the River Wey and a small lake, which is home to herons, ducks and swans. Some of the
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Brave the Water Maze at Hever Castle, Near Tonbridge
Hever Castle was the childhood home of Anne Boleyn. It’s a picturesque castle that has everything a castle should have – a drawbridge, a moat
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Adventure Up, Down and Around Box Hill, Dorking, Surrey Hills
With picturesque views to admire, mini-beasts to discover, stepping stones to navigate and a natural play trail to tackle, Box Hill is a perfect spot for an adventure and we
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Commemorate the Struggle for Freedom at Runnymede
The water-meadows of Runnymede are where King John sealed Magna Carta in 1215, taking a step towards freedom and modern democracy. They are also home
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Defend Your Grain on the Danebury Hill Fort Story Trail, Andover
“Danger at Danebury Hill Fort” is a story trail that helps you to explore Danebury Hill Fort, imagine yourself living there during the Iron Age, then role play defending against
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Storm and Conquer Danebury Hill Fort, Near Andover
About 2,500 years ago, Danebury Hill Fort was a series of earthen ramparts, ditches and gateways protecting a central area. As you can imagine, it has a spectacular location
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Play by Jane Austen’s House at Chawton Recreation Ground
Shady Chawton Recreation Ground is the perfect place to play after a visit to Jane Austen’s House, which is just over the road. The play equipment includes swings,
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Follow in the Footsteps of Elizabeth I at Hatfield House
Elizabeth I is one of my favourite historical figures so I was always going to love Hatfield House. This is where Elizabeth grew up, spent periods of house arrest,
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Search for Sculptures at Tout Quarries, Portland
At Tout Quarries, sculptures are hiding around every corner – and when I say hiding, I mean hiding! We have visited twice and still haven’t found every sculpture.
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Stand in Dinosaur Footprints at Spyway, Swanage
No one believed me when I announced we were going on a mission to discover dinosaur footprints at a place called Spyway. Our mission took us through
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Experience a Bygone Era at Didcot Railway Centre, Didcot
We were surprised by how much there is to see at Didcot Railway Centre. As well as two operational railway lines and a science exhibition, there is a turntable
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Bring Fossils to Life at The Etches Collection, Kimmeridge Bay
150 million years ago, the Dorset coast was a shallow, tropical sea patrolled by huge marine reptiles, predators and fish. All that remains today are fossils, which
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Beat the Maze at Stansted Park, Havant, Portsmouth
Stansted Park is one of those places that is a series of mini-adventures: an elegant house to explore, expansive parkland to discover and beautiful gardens
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Follow the Ups and Downs of Headley Heath, Leatherhead
At Headley Heath you can follow undulating trails through heathland, woodland and chalk hillside, passing ponds, view points and WW2
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Enter a ‘Living Work of Art’ at Stourhead, Wincanton
When you walk around the lake at Stourhead it doesn’t take long to realise why it was once described as, ‘…a living work of art’ – from almost any
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Marvel at the Model Railways at Pendon Museum, Abingdon
Pendon Museum houses model railways showing scenes from England during the 1920s and 1930s, some real and some imagined. The level of detail
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Roll With It at Basildon Park, Pangbourne
I first fell in love with Basildon Park whilst watching Mr Bingley gaze longingly after Jane Bennet in the 2005 film of Pride and Prejudice.
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Man the Cannon at Redan Hill Fort, Aldershot
Aldershot is home to the British Army so it is fitting that it has a recreation area complete with a reconstructed fort and a 32-pounder cannon and the nearby
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Wander the Woods of Standen House, East Grinstead
From its hillside position, Standen House watches over flowering gardens, Sussex countryside and acres of woodland. Standen is an unusual house
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Escape It All at Morden Hall Park, Near Wimbledon
As you walk through the gates of Morden Hall Park you leave behind the hectic pace of South London and step into a peaceful country estate with a watermill
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Discover Wizard Wix at Hatchlands Park, Near Guildford
Hatchlands Park is an ideal venue for a wild adventure with rolling parkland, hidden geocaches and a natural play area complete with a wooden tree house, fairy doors and an obstacle course.
