Food
Days Out
Beach
Bike & Hike
Sports
Nature
Gardens
Activities
Historical
Eating & Drinking
Treat yourself to a truly memorable culinary experience at one of the city's newest and largest restaurants, serving authentic and original Indian Cuisine in a modern setting.
Sourcing produce from top of the range suppliers is very important here. The food is traditional English with a dash of international, classic favourites — they will, if they can, even create something which isn't on the menu to meet any special needs.
Using some of the region's finest produce to create mouth-watering dishes, The Hole in the Wall prides itself on making almost everything on site including delicious home baked bread. The carefully created wine list comprises over 70 world class wines.
This country pub serves good quality food and drink in a warm and friendly environment. There is a variety of menus to choose from to suit every occasion. Visitors can relax on the leather sofas beside the log fire or in the gardens.
A recently restored historic inn overlooking a large pond. The restaurant is renowned for its excellent food prepared from fresh ingredients and cooked to order.
Fun Days Out
You can spend the day and experience the woodland railway, adventure land, play trails, heritage centre and toddler undercover play area.
Longleat - 11.6 Miles (18.6 KM)
Discover some of the world's most magnificent animals in this first safari park created outside Africa. Continue your adventure aboard the Safari boats for a sea lion escorted cruise. (Dogs are welcome in the grounds, but not at the attractions themselves)
Take a ghostly trip around the Roman city and hear about the spooky hauntings and phantom wanderings that have plagued the city. The fantastic guides will show you all the top supernatural hot spots in Bath and as the night progresses, the mysteries begin to unravel.
Big rides, little rides, massive play areas and beautiful gardens — this is a theme park for all the family. Over 50 different rides and attractions including the awesome Cobra family rollercoaster.
Built well over 50 years ago, the superb 1/10th scale models continue to surprise and amaze visitors with their quality and realism. The historic market town of Wimbourne Minster has been recreated, exactly as it was during the 1950s.
You'll enter a world of fantasy and adventure at Wookley Hole. A walk through the a valley of life-size dinosaurs', an 'Enchanted Fairy Garden' with fairies, dragons and elves, a revolutionary pirate ship with a 'Zap-Zone' and a magic and puppet show are just some of its attractions.
Beach
No recommended Beach found within 30 miles of this property.
Biking & Hiking
Wessex Ridgeway - 17.3 Miles (27.7 KM)
Starting at Ashcombe on the Dorset/Wiltshire border, the Dorset section of this 63 mile route meanders across chalk downland and river valleys, and over ancient hill forts.
At 19 miles, this hilly route is a great cycle ride and a 6 hour walk for those up for the challenge. Frome has more listed buildings than any other in Somerset and is the perfect end point to this beautiful route.
Running along the old Somerset and Dorset Railway line, these disused tracks journey through pretty little villages found throughout the Blackmore vale.
A circular route beginning and ending at the Iron Age Hill. Ride through the pretty villages and up through the Broughton Downs, admiring the beautiful landscape.
Golf & Sports
The club is open 7 days a week for trial flights over the countryside which can count towards your full pilot licence. Flying in a 2 or 4 seat light aircraft.
With a multitude of jumps and tuition available, it's never been easier to book your skydiving experience. The School is located on the airfield so it won't be long before you're freefalling from the plane.
Pippin Equestrian is a family run centre set in 30 acres on the edge of Gillingham. All abilities are welcome, and the high standard of facilities, instructors and horses allow them to cater for everyone from a competition rider to a beginner.
Lodden fishing lakes - 16.9 Miles (27 KM)
The two lakes are surrounded with reeds, and both contain large fish, weighing up to 20lb. You'll be fishing for carp, tench, roach, bream and pike. The lakes are open all year and night fishing is possible.
There are two coarse lakes here, just under an acre in size and containing mostly carp, roach, bream and tench. Set in a beautiful rural location in the village of Shepton Montague, both lakes are open all year and there is disabled access.
Wells is a beautiful wooded parkland course with a variety of lovely views to the magnificent cathedral and Mendip Hills. They offer PGA qualified teaching sessions as well as a driving range, so it's suitable for all types of golfers.
The Rapids - 26.9 Miles (43 KM)
Three pools including 75 metre flume, water cannons, bubble seats, tipping bucket pirate ship promise lots of fun. Archie's World adventure play area is for the younger ones.
With a spacious 160 acres of breathtaking country side, the Stockwood Vale golf club offers the perfect combination of fresh air and sport. Grass tees are used all year long. The grounds also feature the golf club with private dining rooms that overlook the course. Enjoy a delicious meal made using locally grown ingredients after an invigorating day on the green!
Tracy Park offers lovely scenery that is perfect for a game of golf! This breathtaking landscape includes sweeping stretches of green and a pair of championship 18 hole courses which span 240 serene acres. Enjoy the amenities and luxury of this exciting boutique golf resort which can be found near Bath and Cotswolds.
If you love hands-on entertainment then get ready for Bristol's Battlefield Live! This exciting attraction puts you right in the thick of it. Get an authentic fighting experience while facing off against another team. Battles can be smaller or include as many as 300 individuals at a time. The more players on the field, the more intense the experience will be!
Luxurious atmosphere and breathtaking views can be found at the Kendleshire Golf Club! This amazing facility offers a superb golfing experience with challenge levels suitable for everyone from beginner up. Happy couples can also plan a wedding with the Kendleshire wedding team. The golf club hosts events, holiday parties and much more!
Nature Reserves
A beautiful woodland which is at its best in Spring with bluebells and primroses carpeting the ground. Keep an eye out for turtle doves, dormice, fallow deer and badgers.
A mixture of woodland, scrub and wet grassland over 14 hectares. This wonderful reserve has had much restoration after a period of neglect. It is now a flourishing sanctuary for many species of wildlife.
Westhay Moor's wildly varied habitats attract millions of starlings who come in to roost just before dusk in winter, as well as otters, roe deer, badger, grass snake, adder, dragonflies and butterflies.
Ham Wall is an internationally important reserve created from worked out peat diggings to form new wetland habitats and reedbeds. Marsh harriers, garganeys and reed buntings breed here and water voles, otters and dragonflies can be seen on the open water.
Visit this impressive collection of moths and butterflies spread over 46 hectares of West Dorset chalk downland. The views across the River Frome valley and the West Dorset coast are truly stunning and a the area itself is a lot of fun to explore.
The Westonbirt National Arboretum in Gloucestershire provides idyllic landscape for a peaceful day of fresh air and nature. This historic area features Victorian influences and an enormous collection of healthy trees and shrubs overseen by the Forestry Commission. The grounds nurture over 2,500 tree species and a total of 16,000 individuals that have been brought in from Chile, Japan, North America, China and Britain.
Gardens & Woodlands
Here there is space to run and play with beautiful parkland and a waterfall to enjoy. Kids love coming here time after time is because its home to one of the best adventure playgrounds in the country.
Prior park is a beautiful 18th century landscaped garden, created by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ralph Allen with advice from the poet Alexander Pope and Capability Brown. Interesting features include the Palladian bridge, three lakes and the recently restored summerhouse.
This is a family run children's farm with all the character of a traditional farm but in a safe, secure, friendly environment. An exciting day out for everyone.
The park has a visitor centre that houses countryside displays and a café. There are also exciting adventure playgrounds for toddlers and older children, including an aerial runaway.
Deans Court - 27.7 Miles (44.3 KM)
Deans Court garden is a peaceful haven near the centre of the busy market town of Wimbourne. The 13 acres of partly wild gardens surround an old house that was once the Deanery to the Minster.
These charming Grade II listed gardens are set high on the slopes of the Mendip Hills to the north of Wells, enjoying glorious views of Wells Cathedral and the Vale of Avallon. Mixed shrubs, old fashioned roses, climbers and herbaceous plants are all set amid yew hedges.
Known internationally for its ornamental grasses, this secluded garden is home to an equally exciting collection of rare and unusual trees and shrubs. Enjoy its naturalistic style before browsing in its Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal winning nursery.
Mayfield Park welcomes visitors with 17 hectares of beautiful natural landscape. This award-winning attraction includes historic features, recreation areas, sports grounds, wooded walking trails and a children's play area. Take a break from sightseeing to enjoy a refreshing excursion through this gorgeous stretch of green. Look for special events and gatherings sometimes held in the park throughout the year.
Palmerston Park is one of the most beautiful green spaces in Southampton. This Green Flag award-winning park contains dense foliage that is well-maintained throughout. Observe the Viscount Palmerston Memorial while exploring the lush garden surrounding it. Spring and summer bring vibrant blossoms to Palmerston, however the area is gorgeous all year round!
Local Attractions
Showing a full programme of up to date films (check website for times). Free and disabled parking available and the centre is wheelchair friendly.
Improve your skills on the ice by spending the afternoon at Southampton ice skating! This cool local attraction offers fun and excitement for the whole family. Each session runs 45 minutes. Lockers can be rented on-site and refreshments are available so you can relax after completing a session on the ice!
In a rural and beautiful setting redundant farm buildings have been converted to create studios for teaching stone and wood carving, wood engraving, bronze carving, mould making, painting, drawing, ceramics, willow and wire sculpture and many other art forms.
Bowlplex - 26.7 Miles (42.7 KM)
Get your game on at the Bowlplex! This indoor attraction offers a completely unique environment to test your skills with a bowling ball. The facility offers everything a person could need to have a good time, including the Bowlplex grill, the Sega prize zone and activities for groups and parties.
The Wells Film Centre is an independently, professionally run cinema, featuring all the latest films — mainstream, arthouse and world cinema — all displayed on very high quality projection.
Forest Leisure Cycling offers a fun way to explore the gorgeous New Forest. This local business provides bikes and accessories for sale and hire. Travel one of the cycle routes, which provide a challenge for cyclists of all ages! Visitors can contact Forest Leisure Cycling for current rates and availability.
Hengrove Park offers visitors a unique experience nestled in Bristol. The area includes a play park and large open space that once served as the Whitchurch Airfield. A wheels park is available for BMX riders and skateboarders. Most areas in Hengrove Park are open all year round. Travellers should check for seasonal open times before visiting.
Historical & Heritage Sites
One of the most famous cathedrals in the world. Salisbury is unique amongst medieval English cathedrals: it was built within one century with no substantial later additions. The building itself is remarkable, a testimony to the faith and practical skills of those who erected it.
A spectacular series of diverse and authentically furnished rooms trace the American way of life from Colonial times to the 19th century. The American Heritage Exhibition gives an insight into the early pioneers, the people of the wild west, native Americans and the Civil War.
An Elizabethan house built 1582 and enlarged in the mid 19th century to contain a second collection of art. There are also formal gardens with herbaceous borders, lily pool, rose garden and rare stone bath house.
A truly fascinating place to visit, the Roman Baths are below street level and the Georgian Pump Room is on the ground level. Today, the main Roman bath is a pool lined with 45 sheets of lead and filled with hot spa water. It once stood in a barrel-vaulted hall 40 metres high.
An 80 acre deer park around a picturesque lake, 250 acres of oak woodland and 80 acres of common land form part of the estate surrounding Stock Gaylard House, an early Georgian house close to St Barnabas parish church.
Don't just ride a train, go on and adventure with the Avon Valley Railway! This nostalgic experience offers fun and excitement for the entire family. Climb aboard a real, functioning steam train. A buffet is available as well as other amenities so visitors can relax and enjoy every step of the journey.
You are invited to hop on board the famous GWR locomotives and explore hands on the ways of this beautifully restored railway. Learn about the extraordinary people whose stories are embedded in the history of these fascinating trains, from their original conception, to their build and subsequent journeys. Visitors are also told of the life of the maverick genius that was Isambard Kingdom Brunel, who created the GWR.
Surrounded by 14 acres of tranquil moated and fortified grounds, home to the springs from which the city takes its name, this uniquely beautiful medieval Palace lies in the heart of Wells.
One of the most beautiful of the country's cathedrals, Wells has survived eight centuries with all its associated buildings still surrounding it — the Chapter house, Vicar's Hall, the cloisters and the unique Vicar's Close.
Poole Museum illustrates the vibrant history of this ancient port town and its residents, you will acquire lots of local information about the intriguing environment of Poole Harbour. The museum is housed in a lovely 19th century quayside mill, and is situated over three floors with each floor relating to a different period, there are exhibits pertaining to art, archaeology and social history of the region, there is lots to see and do, it is an interactive museum and lots for children to do and get involved in too. The exhibits are well presented and have lots of information telling you about them. There has been a recent addition to the museum, a terrace that has lovely harbour views and activities for everyone. Poole Museum is open daily throughout the year except Mondays during the winter months. The Medieval Scaplen's Court Museum is a delightful historic medieval domestic building, that includes a Victorian classroom and old toys, it also has a herb and physic garden that is so fragrant when in full bloom and offers a place of tranquillity where you can stop and savour the peaceful atmosphere, the museum is only open to the public in August but, the gardens are open between May and September. Both museums have no charge for entry. The museum operates a number of events during the year so it is worth checking the website to see what is taking place and might be of interest to you. There is a lovely cafe on the top floor that is cosy and inviting and offers a lovely relaxed atmosphere to enjoy a beverage. Poole Museum offers a fantastic day out for all, it is interesting and informative and guests of all ages will find something to interest and entertain them.
With a rich and varied history, this castle is a must see for all ages. The original building was medieval hunting lodge, situated in the Deer Park belonging to Sherborne Old Castle. However, Sir Walter Raleigh built his own property on the site in 1594. After his death it was purchased by Sir John Digby and has been in the family ever since. In addition to its early life, the castle played a pivotal role in both world wars, as a Red Cross hospital and as the headquarters for the commandos of the D-Day landings. (Wheelchair access to the ground floor only)
Arnos Vale Cemetery is truly a "place to remember." This local landmark maintains digital records of burials and cremations as far back as 1839. Burial and memorial services are offered. Curious visitors will be interested in exploring the cemetery's vast history, which includes elegant monuments, buildings and gorgeous Gothic style architecture.
New Forest Museum is dedicated to the history, wildlife and conservation of the national park. It is an intriguing museum and you are welcomed with a short film about the park, there are many displays and exhibits covering geology, history, wildlife and conservation, forestry and commoning, see the unique work of the New Forest Embroidery made to celebrate the 900th anniversary of the New Forest, a detailed and clever piece of embroidery. The centre piece of the museum is an enormous oak tree so large that you can walk through it, and offers lots to discover under the flaps that are attached to it. There are also visiting exhibitions that cover a diverse range of topics and these change frequently. The museum is open daily from 10.00am to 5.00pm. There is free entry to the museum for under sixteens for everyone else there is a small charge. New Forest Museum will appeal to all ages and offers a fun and interesting learning experience for all.
The aviation museum contains a unique collection of ex-military and civilian aircraft, some of which still fly. On display are a Meteor, Hunter, Vampire, Jet Provost, BAC-111, Buccaneer, 1934 Dragon Rapide and the world's last flying Sea Vixen.
