Hampshire

Hampshire is a coastal county in central southern England and has been my home for the last 51 years. As a holiday destination it is often overlooked in favour of other southern counties such as Devon or Cornwall. It does however offer as much, if not more, than these other counties to people looking for a holiday destination. With the long sandy beaches of places such as Bournemouth and Christchurch, the beauty of the New Forest national park, the abundance of quaint old country pubs and bustling market towns, there is plenty to see and do in Hampshire. The county also offers opportunities for some of the best country walks, sailing, wind surfing, cycling, horse riding and family days out in the UK.

This page will provide you with ideas and inspiration for days out and complete holidays that will keep every member of your family happy. You will also find links to hotels, cosy country b&b's and campsites nestled in green countryside or overlooking the seaside. Whatever you are looking for I can guarantee you will find it in Hampshire.

The New Forest

Created in 1079 as a hunting ground for William the Conqueror the New Forest is one of the most beautiful national parks in the UK. Ponies roam freely throughout its rolling fields and woodland and the area is perfect for lovers of wildlife and nature. The area has many well kept campsites, thatched cottages and country hotels in which to stay so you can be right on the doorstep of all there is to see and do.

Places to visit within the New Forest:

Beaulieu and the Beaulieu motor museum

Otter and Owl wildlife park

Rhinefield ornamental drive

Bucklers Hard

Exbury Gardens

Liberty's Raptor and Reptile Centre

Longdown dairy farm

Sammy Miller motorcycle museum

Bournemouth

Probably the best place to head to for a day by the seaside with its long sandy beach and excellent facilities for a family holiday. The seafront between Bournemouth pier and Boscombe pier is the venue for the spectacular Bournemouth air festival every August which is free to attend. We went both last year (its first year) and this year (2009) when the weather was perfect. Lying on the hot sand with a pint of cold beer watching the red arrows and classic WWII planes such as the Spitfire made for a perfect day out. The festival for 2010 runs from August 19th - 22nd .

Winchester

The Cathedral city of Winchester, once capital of England offers plenty to do. The eleventh century cathedral is well worth a visit and is home to the round table of King Arthur which has the names of his 24 Knights written around its edge. The high street is great for shopaholics with plenty of shops of all types and a farmer's market every second and final Sunday of each month. Add to that the numerous old pubs and bars in which to refresh yourselves it makes a perfect place for a day out.

Portsmouth

Home of the Royal Navy, historic dockyard, birthplace of Charles Dickens and the resting place of HMS Victory, The Mary Rose and HMS Warrior, no wonder Portsmouth is one of the top ten visitor attractions in the UK. Arriving at Portsmouth by sea, one of the first landmarks you will notice is the Spinnaker Tower, built to celebrate the millennium it is a truly impressive site and a visit to the top will give you an equally impressive view of the town and surrounding countryside with the Isle of Wight to the south.

Places to visit in Portsmouth:

D day museum

Submarine museum

The Mary Rose
HMS Victory

HMS Warrior

Gunwharf Quays

Blue Reef Aquarium

Pyramids Centre

Watercress Line

The Watercress line is a steam railway which runs for ten miles from Alresford to Alton although the line used to run to London and was named after the main reason for its creation which was to carry the highly perishable watercress from the beds in Hampshire to the market in Covent Garden.

Now run by a highly dedicated team of enthusiast volunteers and employees, the line holds many special events thoughout the year including Christmas lunch runs and RAT (real ale train) runs. You can even ride on the footplate of the locomotive and stoke the fire! For more information see there website http://www.watercressonline.co.uk

Step back in time at the Milestones museum in Basingstoke. Here you can walk through streets and visit shops and businesses just as they were in the early 1900's.

Find more information on their website http://www3.hants.gov.uk/milestones

To find the museum put this post code into your sat nav RG22 6PG

Located just outside of Winchester the Intech is a 'hands on' interactive science and technology centre which will provide you with a great family day out. The main aim of the centre is to improve the public's (particularly children's) understanding of science and technology. It is also home to a state of the art digital planetarium. Find out more on their website at http://www.intech-uk.com/folders/home/index.cfm

INTECH,

Telegraph Way,

Morn Hill,

Winchester,

Hampshire, SO21 1HZ

General Enquiries: 01962 863791
School Bookings: 01962 891900  

No holiday would be complete without a trip to the zoo. Marwell zoo is a 140 acre park housing over 250 exotic and endangered species located just outside Southampton in the village of Owslebury.

Marwell Zoological Park
Owslebury, Winchester, SO21 1JH
01962 777 407

http://www.marwell.org.uk/

Poultons Park

Located just outside Romsey Poultons Park is the ideal place for a family day out and is sure to make the kids sleep well that night.

Ower,

Romsey,

SO51 6AL

Tel: 023 8081 4442

http://www.paultonspark.co.uk/

Brockenhurst hotels

Bournemouth hotels

Southampton hotels

Lyndhurst hotels

Ringwood hotels

Portsmouth hotels