Hurst Castle
Hurst Castle stands magnificently at the end of a long, narrow spit that extends 1.5 miles from Milford on Sea. The castle was built by Henry VIII as one of a chain of coastal fortresses and was completed in 1544.
Days Out in the New Forest
There are a thousand and one ways to create an itinerary for days out in the New Forest. The items listed here are all tried and tested by us – some will take an hour or two, and some will need revisiting again and again – the choice is yours. If you’d like to suggest a venue or ask about one before visiting, please drop us a line.
New Forest Show, Heavy Horses and Her Majesty the Queen
The New Forest Show: hot and heavy. The Heavy Horse… there’s something about their captivating majesty, quiet dignity and immense, understated raw power that makes them one of the most popular events at the New Forest Show. The 2012 show...
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Free Dot to Dot – New Forest Pony?
Here’s something for those rainy days – and there are plenty of those at the moment. Here’s a dot-to-dot we put together for the kids. The first version was tried and tested on our own two – and just as...
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Buckler’s Hard Maritime Museum and Village
Buckler’s Hard is a charming time capsule on the banks of the Beaulieu River, unchanged (on the surface) since the 18th Century when it was a shipbuilding village, contributing to three ships of Nelson’s fleet that fought at the Battle...
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New Forest Wildlife Park, Ashurst
Starting with involvement in the conservation of the Eurasian Otter in the 1970s, the New Forest Wildlife Park has grown over the years to include other indigenous species such as the following (taken from website): Eurasian Otter Asian Short Claw...
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Longdown Activity Farm, Ashurst
Longdown Activity Farm near Ashurst (formerly Longdown Dairy Farm) is as much a family attraction as a working farm. There are a plethora of friendly looking (if a little smelly) farm animals that children are encouraged to stroke, feed and pet....
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Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway
Exbury Gardens is located between Beaulieu Village and Lepe Country Park, east of the Beaulieu River. The Gardens encompass 200 acres, and include the Rothschild Collection of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias and rare trees and shrubs. There is also a charming steam...
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Paultons Park, Ower, Romsey
Whilst not quite Disneyland, Paultons Family Theme Park isn’t bad. When visiting theme parks like this (just for the kids, obviously), I outwardly grit my teeth and pretend to tolerate the proceedings with good humour. My dirty secret is that...
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National Motor Museum, Beaulieu
Beaulieu Motor Museum started life as a collection of just a few leaky vintage cars in the entrance hall of the beautiful Palace House. Today it’s known country-wide as a major attraction with its distinctive (if slightly Heath Robinson) green...
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