Discover the best top things to do in Hampshire, United Kingdom including Steamship Shieldhall, The Mary Rose, New Forest National Park, Beaulieu National Motor Museum, Highclere Castle, The Mid Hants Railway Watercress Line, Winchester Cathedral, Paultons Park, Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, Solent Sky Museum.
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5.0 based on 286 reviews
The Steamship Shieldhall is the largest working steam ship in Britain. A member of the National Historic Fleet she serves as a sea going tribute to Britain's maritime heritage. As a passenger you too can experience the golden age of steam by booking on an excursion or visiting her in Southampton.
The 2 of us enjoyed a fantastic time onboard the Shieldhall thanks to its amazing team of knowledgeable and friendly volunteers working in the engine room, on the bridge, at the shop/restaurant, on deck including a commentator on all landmarks we passed . They made a huge impression on my son who is a typical 'teen'. The vessel is very stable and I did not feel seasick, nor did I see the 3 hours pass by as we spent our time visiting the engine room as well as the bridge and every other part of the ship. We had a fab time! Suitable for e very age group.
5.0 based on 5,617 reviews
The Mary Rose is home to the Mary Rose and the thousands of artefacts that were recovered from the Solent. Built between 1509 and 1511, The Mary Rose was one of the first ships able to fire a broadside, and was a firm favourite of King Henry VIII. After a long and successful career, she sank accidentally during an engagement with the French fleet in 1545. Her rediscovery and raising were seminal events in the history of nautical archaeology. After a 34 year conservation project, the Mary Rose is now fully on display within her purpose-built museum. Please note that The Mary Rose is not included in the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard 11 Attraction Ticket. We currently offer a 10% discount to holders of a valid 11 Attraction Ticket upon its presentation at either our Visitor Centre at the main dockyard entrance (Victory Gate), or at our museum. Tickets purchased before 1st April 2018 will still be accepted until their expiration date.
Have visited this museum twice now and each time have been amazed at the restoration and historical background to life onboard in Tudor times that it provides and demonstrates. Attended a brilliant talk about the threat of French invasion at the time.
5.0 based on 1,810 reviews
The New Forest National Park is truly unique. It’s a ‘world capital’ for wildlife with a huge diversity of rare plants and animals– one of the reasons why it was made a National Park in 2005. A place of outstanding natural beauty, the unique landscape is shaped by the grazing of ponies, cattle and pigs that roam freely. These animals may appear wild, but they are owned by people called commoners. One of the last places in southern England to offer a sense of wildness and tranquillity, it’s a wonderful area to explore on foot, horseback, or by bike. Indeed William the Conqueror, who set aside the ‘New Forest’ for hunting more than 900 years ago, would probably recognise much of it today.
An amazing place nestled in Southern England .. Some of the closer town which boost of scenic boutique hotels are Lyndhurst, Burley and Romsey... The entire forest is absolutely scenic, stunning and lush.. you could easily see grazing Horse, cattle and deers.. Surely a perfect get away from London as it’s just a 2 hours drive and offers you a perfect relaxing moment to create memories to cherish. Plenty of places to visit if you intend to relax, rejuvenate, organize a team or family gathering, wedding plans or just want to hike by yourself to spent a me time secluded from the rest of the world.., I spent my 2 nights at White Buck Burley (separate review uploaded).. Their are many great restaurant options around town but surely recommend to drive down as having a car or bike is important... Enjoy and live your life...
4.5 based on 6,786 reviews
In the heart of the glorious New Forest, Beaulieu is one of the South's top visitor attractions. Here you will find the National Motor Museum, home to over 250 vehicles telling the history of motoring. You can also visit Palace House and Gardens, home of the Montagu family since 1538, the remains of Beaulieu Abbey and World of Top Gear where you can see some of the vehicles from Jeremy, James and Richard's most ambitious challenges. Ride on the high level Monorail or climb aboard the replica 1912 open top London bus for a fun way to see Beaulieu's sights.
A really good day out, with something for everyone from 6 to 66! Different family members enjoyed different parts of the site. The kids especially loved the playground and elevated train, Dad loved Top Gear & Cars from films, Mum loved the Palace, Grandad loved all the cars and motorbikes and Nanny loved the Abbey and gardens!
4.5 based on 3,288 reviews
Designed by Sir Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, this is considered to be one of the finest Victorian homes still in existence, which houses fine furniture and works of art. Today, the Castle is the home of the 8th Earl and Countess of Carnarvon and is known around the world as the real home of 'Downton Abbey'.
Highclare is a terrific place to visit - really well organised, super friendly & informative guides, gift shop with quality and fairly priced items, and wonderful maintained grounds and gardens. In today’s ever more irritating Covid World, all necessary safety measures were in place without being intrusive or restrictive to our visit. Highclare itself is beautifully presented, with a balance of family history alongside Downton Abbey lore. Cannot rate highly enough.
4.5 based on 1,282 reviews
The Mid Hants Railway, also known as the Watercress Line, operates steam and heritage diesel trains between the picturesque market towns of Alton and Alresford in Hampshire, south west of London. As well as standard travel this preserved railway runs popular special events throughout the year along with Countryman and Watercress Belle dining trains and the Real Ale Train.
4.5 based on 4,333 reviews
Winchester Cathedral is one of the finest medieval cathedrals in Europe, nestled at the heart of historic Winchester. It has been a place of worship and welcome for over 900 years and is one of the most historically significant buildings in Britain. Step inside to marvel at the longest medieval Nave in Europe, admire stunning architecture and encounter priceless treasures including the 12th-century Winchester Bible. Winchester Cathedral is the resting place of Saxon royalty and Jane Austen, the much-loved English novelist. Don't miss the new exhibition Kings and Scribes: The Birth of a Nation which takes visitors through 1,000 years of history from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day. One of the best ways to explore is with a guided tour, available from 10am - 3pm Monday to Saturday. After your visit, take time to enjoy delicious home-cooked food in the Cathedral Refectory with its medieval walled garden or browse the Cathedral Shop for souvenirs and exclusive gifts.
We visited Winchester Cathedral today and can throughly recommend the 1 hour guided tour, it gave great insights into the history and stories behind this beautiful Cathedral and our tour guide Lorraine Estelle was wonderful and definitely deserves a special mention ..
4.5 based on 8,510 reviews
Paultons Park - home of Peppa Pig World is a family theme park located in the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, with over 70 rides and attractions. Home to a world first and UK exclusive, Peppa Pig World has 9 rides & attractions including, Peppa's Big Balloon Ride, George's Dinosaur Adventure an indoor soft play zone. Other rides and attractions at Paultons include, the dinosaur theme park Lost Kingdom, the Edge and Cobra roller coasters, the Water Kingdom splash park, adventure golf, a 4D cinema, The Raging River Ride and many smaller rides for young children.
I have to say this was the best day out we have ever had! My little boy is obsessed with peppa and he had the most amazing day, his little face from start to finish was a picture! A very happy family we are today! The park was immaculately clean, staff friendly, queue times were reasonable, all rides accommodated all ages, everything was colourful and looked so magical I could go on! If I could give one critique it would be that we found the food inside peppa world quite limiting and would of liked things like chips and other hot things but it really wasn’t a problem. The muddy puddle area was our absolute favourite, we had gorgeous weather so my little boy was in his element running around in his nappy with other babies splashing in the water. The park area and penguin area is also fab!! Best gift shop ever too! All in all a great day out!
4.5 based on 1,273 reviews
We are a large Country Park & Forest offering approximately 1000 acres of managed woodland and Country Park to explore. We have miles of mapped walking and cycle routes, two large adventure play areas, over a mile and a half walking route with numerous large woodland play stations to stop at, cycle and mobility scooter hire, model steam railway, golf and pitch & put, restaurant, staffed information point & Visitor Centre, disabled and baby change facilities at two large toilet blocks, Go-Ape and Segway hire, Ice-cream sales and visitor gift shop. If that is not enough to keep you busy, we have an array of activities throughout the year including, pond dipping, Ranger Den, Nordic walking. Admission is per car, and you need to know your number plate to pay at the paystations - at the end of your visit. See you soon.
Hands down, one of our favourite places to visit. So much to do, the parking is still cheaper than you would pay for entrance for a family at other venues with less beauty and less to do. We have the young children and have been regular visitors to moors valley for years. In April 2019it cost us £11 to park the car for over four hours. But included in that price was so much. And it gets improved throughout every year. Our youngest daughter loved the Gruffalo carved characters and the Zog trail. All three kids, as usual, were in their element having fun walking through the forest play trail, playing on all the one of a kind play structures skillfully made out of wood. The forest itself is beautiful and such an amazing setting. With energy to spare, the kids also love the excellent play parks, suitable for all ages and we all loved the mini steam train, taking us through tunnels, over bridges and along the surprisingly long track. Aa return visitors here's our top tips: 1.take your own lunch. There's plenty of picnic tables around the grounds. Avoid the green field near the play park as it can get busy and there are more scenic picnic tables elsewhere dotted around the site. 2.Arrive early, especially on Bank Holidays and school holidays. The car park can get full surprisingly quickly... We (and hundreds of other cars) have been turned away at the gates as early as 11am on some days, simply because the car park is at capacity. 3.there are no bins in the grounds, you have to bring your rubbish away with you, so if bringing your lunch, a small backpack should be fine to stuff your rubbish in when you're done. 4.dogs are allowed on leads but we don't take our lab to be honest because it feels like a bit of a tease walking around and not being able to let him off. 5.the train is excellent and worth every penny. It is extra and not free as part of the parking cost. Tickets can be bought on card and it's not cash-only like it used to be. 6.if you have a toddler, consider taking a buggy that's good off road. Sounds obvious, but the play trail through the forest is a long way for a little pair of legs.
4.5 based on 869 reviews
Solent Sky Museum showcases the history of aviation in Southampton - Spitfire City - and the surrounding Solent area.Geographically this was the most important area in the country, perhaps the world, for aircraft experimental and development work between 1908 and the late 1960s. 26 aircraft companies set up shop in the area, and many of the world’s greatest aircraft, including the legendary Spitfire, first took to the air in the skies over Southampton.We have 18 complete airframes, including a Supermarine Spitfire and Supermarine S6a (N248), and also 4 cockpit sections. We also have a comprehensive collection of aero-engines.Our mighty Sandringham Flying Boat was originally built as a Short Sunderland in 1943, and converted to a passenger aircraft after the war. Visitors are welcome to board the aircraft to sample the luxury of air travel in the romantic era of the great flying boats, and guided tours of the flight deck are also available.Kids (and big kids) can also imagine what it would be like to fly a jet fighter while sat in the cockpits of our Supermarine Swift and Harrier Jump Jet. Our new Schneider Trophy Exhibition is now open, with its record-breaking centrepiece the S6a. Video stock footage of these legendary races and artefacts from the time illustrate the drama and romance of the fastest race in history.
We visited in the afternoon and were warmly greeted by two volunteers, one of whom gave us a brief introduction to the layout, including the relatively new section which now includes the Hampshire Police and Fire Service Museum exhibits. A volunteer quickly showed my grandson to a couple of jet fighter cockpits to sit in ( including flying helmet ), and he was hooked! We spent the next two hours working our way around, including the magnificent flying boat over which another volunteer gave us a comprehensive and very informative tour. All the volunteers were very interesting and knowledgeable. A wonderful afternoon. We will certainly go again.
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