10 things to do this February Half-Term

There are some great events taking place throughout February half-term across Hampshire and The Isle Of Wight and what makes them extra special is that they arPaultonsParke taking place throughout our 10th birthday year! See below a round up of the top 10 things do this half-term…

  1. Longdown Activity Farm will open for their new season on Saturday 11th February. Be prepared for lots of farming fun! There are lots of brilliant farmyard buildings to explore and loads of fabulous indoor and outdoor play areas including the trampoline barn, a soft play area and The Farmer’s Straw Den.
  2. Enjoy a ‘Scribbles and Sketches’ activity trail at Mottisfont from Saturday 18th – Sunday 26th February, inspired by the Rex Whistler exhibition. Discover your inner artist with a creative activity trail; pick up your ‘sketchbook’ at Visitor Reception and explore Mottisfont’s grounds, finding things to draw and do. Follow the trail around the grounds to add to your ‘sketchbook’, and visit the artist’s studio to build a mini easel to hold your own masterpiece.
  3. Head to Paulton’s Park this February to see their brand new 4D Film; Sammy and Ray! Sammy and Ray’ tells the tale of a newly hatched Green Turtle named Sammy and his best, Leatherback, buddy Ray as they cruise the oceans on a makeshift raft having the time of their lives. Make sure you hold on tight as your seats rumble and watch out for the water sprays and gusts of wind as you enjoy the adventure of a lifetime.
  4. Be part of history by personalising a tile with a message or drawing to go on The Vyne’s new roof. From 18 February, leave your mark and help save this former Tudor palace as they carry out a major roof project. You can write a message or draw a picture on a tile that will go up on their new roof for a suggested donation of £5. This event runs 11am-4pm by the Brewhouse tea-room.
  5. Head to The Watercress Line for the Pre Spring Gala from the 17th – 19th February. It’s a steam extravaganza with special guest locomotives! An intensive service timetable will be in operation, with demonstration freight train, real ale bar and shed tours at Ropley and Medstead, so if you love HawkConservancysteam or simply have a passing appreciation, this is an excellent event for the family to enjoy!
  6. New ‘Astroball’ climb arrives at Rock Up Whiteley for February half-term! If you’re looking a for a new half term challenge, visit and try their brand new climb ‘Astroball.’ It’s one climb, with three different rope lines, ideal for racing your friends and family.
  7. Experience a range of fun games and pastimes played by children in Victorian England this February Half-Term. Learn how the royal children would have lived and played at Osborne!
  8. Get out in the countryside with the children this half term at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Enjoy a full day of activities including a new passport trail, world-class flying displays, tractor rides and children can even meet an owl!
  9. Between 11th – 26th February get ‘hands-on’ at Beaulieu, with interactive activities for the whole family! Pick up your passbook and travel through each of their activity stations to collect your stamps. Will you be able to collect them all?
  10. Join Manor farm & Country Park for a weekend of activities crafts and trails based around the birds that make Manor Farm their home. Make a pine cone bird feeder to take home for the birds in your garden and a chocolate birds nest to eat yourself! Help them build a giant bird’s nest, follow their bird trail & take home a bird spotting sheet to see which birds live in your garden!

Don’t forget that we have over 25 discount vouchers that you can use throughout February Half-Term. See and download them all here.

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Brilliant Light! Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium prepares for an illuminating February spectacular

Illuminate their imagination at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium this February Half Term with an enlightening extravaganza all about the brilliant science of light.

Running daily from 10 – 27 February (10am to 5pm), the Science Centre will have a bumper programme of live shows, demonstrations, busking activities and lots of hands-on fun to illuminate inquisitive minds.

This year there are two full weeks of Half Term activities – half term dates are split between counties, giving an opportunity to visit while children in neighbouring counties are at school.

A live presenter-led science show, Brilliant Light, will take the audience on an exciting journey through the science of light. Spectators can expect to be wowed by lasers, intrigued by new unseen worlds and get involved with lots of opportunities for audience participation. The 30 minute show is free with General Entry, suitable for all ages (best for 5-12 year olds), and will run daily in the Space Marquee at 11am, 12pm, 1pm and 2pm.ScienceCentre

The Centre’s Science Communicators will be roaming throughout the exhibition floor with a series of amazing and interactive displays. Visitors can explore the different concepts of light, discover the secret world of fluorescence, experience the incredible rainbow colours of spectroscopy and learn ways of making things disappear in front of their very eyes! Science busking activities will be available daily from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium’s brand new zone Invention Studio will be open throughout the Half Term period. Testing visitors’ inquisitive thinking, they can explore and solve a series of exciting challenges related to programming, aerodynamics, engineering and electronics, with the Science Centre’s Master Inventors on-hand to help construct truly amazing creations and innovative solutions.

And if that isn’t enough, visitors can get hands-on with over 100 interactive exhibits, including the Science Centre’s Little Big Room and the Science of Sport Zone.

All activities (excluding planetarium shows) are free with General Entry to the Science Centre.

Throughout February Half Term, enjoy free parking for visitors at Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, with a free park and ride service from the nearby Matterley Estate ensuring plenty of space.

10% online discount available on General Entry tickets when booked in advance, plus a further 10% discount when purchasing three or more General Entry tickets. Visit www.winchestersciencecentre.org or call 01962 863 791.

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Feel the love this February with great activities and half term adventures!

February is full of love! It’s a nice short month after a long January, it’s a step closer to Spring, and it plays host to half term! What’s even better is our top attractions have loads going on to keep you and your family entertained this February…

Things to do this February…

Screen Shot 2017-01-11 at 08.19.26Longdown Activity Farm opens for the new season on Saturday 11th February. Enjoy lots of hands-on activities and farming fun. Don’t miss the magic and mayhem with Silly Scott who will be visiting on Friday 24thFebruary. No extra charge. Find out more here!

Pre Spring Gala – 17th – 19th February at The Watercress Line. It’s a steam extravaganza with special guest locomotives! An intensive service timetable will be in operation, with demonstration freight train, real ale bar and shed tours at Ropley and Medstead, so if you love steam or simply have a passing appreciation, this is an excellent event for the family to enjoy! Find out more here!

This half term New Forest Activities have plenty for the whole family! It’s the final month of their winter paddling where you can chose from kayaking or canoeing. It’s the best price yet! At only £16 per person, book your session now. Find out more here!

Visit Marwell Zoo and embark on the popular Wild Explorers trail. Collect stamps of your favourite animals around the zoo to get a free sticker! Plus, look out for their playful Amur tiger and Amur leopard cubs – growing up fast. Find out more here!

 

Screen Shot 2017-01-16 at 15.08.15Now open! Forest Leisure Cycling’s new branch, ‘The Woods Cyclery,’ premium cycle shop, workshop and hire centre in Lyndhurst, close to some of the New forests best cycle trails. Find out more here!

From 18 February, leave your mark on The Vyne and help save this former Tudor palace as they carry out a major roof project. You can write a message or draw a picture on a tile that will go up on their new roof for a suggested donation of £5. This event runs 11am-4pm by the Brewhouse tea-room. Find out more here! 

Get ready to jump for joy this half term at Oxygen Freejumping, Hampshire’s favourite trampoline park! Along with the usual 120 connected trampolines, mega airbag and awesome obstacle course, you and the kids can enjoy trampolining games, face-painting, special deals and much more! Find Oxygen at Antelope Retail Park, Southampton SO19 8NE. Find out more here!

 

Half term adventures…

Screen Shot 2017-01-17 at 15.49.33Between 11th – 26th February get ‘hands-on’ at Beaulieu this February Half-Term with interactive activities for the whole family! Pick up your passbook and travel through each of our activity stations to collect your stamps. Will you be able to collect them all? Find out more here!

Enjoy some New Forest-inspired fun in February at the New Forest Centre, with children’s foam printing sessions on Saturday 4th February and half term family Discovery Days on 21st and 23rd February. Get crafty whilst learning about the New Forest. Find out more here!

Sammy and Ray is Paulton’s Park brand new 4D Film which will be launching for February Half Term from the 12th February 2017. Join Sammy and Ray as they cruise the oceans. Be prepared to hold on to your seat and experience a unique encounter. Find out more here!

Tall Stories’ magical musical stage adaptation of Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler flies into NST, Nuffield Southampton Theatres – the perfect family treat this February half-term! Find out more here!

Join the Manor farm team for a weekend of activities crafts and trails based around the birds that make Manor Farm their home. Make a pine cone bird feeder to take home for the birds in your garden and a chocolate birds nest to eat yourself! Help them build a giant bird’s nest, follow their bird trail & take home a bird spotting sheet to see which birds live in your garden. Find out more here!

Screen Shot 2017-01-13 at 10.23.23Have you got what it takes to beat the navvy? Explore Fort Nelson with a Victorian navvy, participate in a series of challenges and find out how the fort was built this February half term. Find out more here!

Enjoy a ‘Scribbles and Sketches’ activity trail at Mottisfont this half-term, Saturday 18th – Sunday 26th February, inspired by the Rex Whistler exhibition. Explore Mottisfont’s grounds, finding things to make, draw and do. Find out more here!

Head to Birdworld at Farnham this half term and enjoy all things Penguin! Follow a trail, meet Percy Penguin and take part in their competition for your chance to win a Penguin feeding experience! Find out more here!

Join the Education Team at Staunton Country Park for farm themed arts and crafts, fantastic farm yard face painting and animal encounters. Plus, explore their Tractor Trail! Find out more here!

New ‘Astroball’ climb arrives at Rock Up Whiteley for February half-term! If you’re looking a for a new half term challenge, visit and try their brand new climb ‘Astroball.’ It’s one climb, with three different rope lines, ideal for racing your friends and family.  Book on-line to be an Astroball pioneer and secure your half term spherical Rock Up adventure. Find out more here!

Screen Shot 2017-01-16 at 09.07.25Head to Whitchurch Silk Mill from 18th – 21st February and meet some of the industrious Victorians who lived and worked at the Mill. Explore the jobs they did and see if you can survive ten minutes in a Victorian schoolroom, or a day in the life of a child mill worker. Find out more here! 

This Half Term at Sir Harold Hillier Gardens why not try; Climb a Tree, have a go at Archaeology or cook up a treat with Family Bushcraft creating Pancakes around the Fire. Working? Then just drop your kids off in the Ofsted registered Outdoor Adventure Holiday Club. Find out more here! 

Become an Explorer this half term at Gilbert White & The Oates Collections. Identify the birds with a garden trail, or discover more about Antarctica with their Explorer workshops and Penguin Craft Days. Find out more here!

Experience a range of fun games and pastimes played by children in Victorian England at Osborne between the 20th and 24th February between 11am and 3pm. Learn how the royal children would have lived and played at Osborne. Find out more here!

Get out in the countryside with the children this half term at the Hawk Conservancy Trust. Enjoy a full day of activities including a new passport trail, world-class flying displays, tractor rides and children can even meet an owl! Find out more here! 

Travel back to the time of the Pharaohs to create your very own mummified orange and clay canopic jar. Dress for mess, Seacity Museum will provide the rest! Find out more here! 

Join historic craft expert Deborah Woodland for some fun and hands-on craft workshops at Tudor House & Garden this February. Each session will explore a different historic skill. Find out more here! 

Screen Shot 2017-01-26 at 10.52.00Feeling the love…

Billy Elliot the Musical, one of the most beloved shows on stage today, is coming to Mayflower Theatre in February! Find out more here!

For a limited time only, the Bombay Sapphire Distillery will be serving their signature Valentine’s cocktail, the ‘Brambled’. This sublimely delicious, tantalizing and effervescent gin and tonic twist is perfect to share with a loved one this Valentine’s day. The Brambled combines Bombay Sapphire, Fever-Tree lemon tonic water, a gently squeezed wedge of fresh lemon, then laced with Chambord. It’s available in the Mill Bar from 11th-19th February. Find out more here! 

 

So what are you waiting for? With so many things to do this February there’s no excuse to stay in and plenty of reasons to visit Hampshire this February half term!

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10 reasons to visit Hampshire’s Top Attractions in 2017

1. We have new members – The Vyne ( New layout in The Vyne house at The Vyne. Immersive ‘moving tapestries’ and music now transport visitors to the visit of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in 1535. As a roof project unfolds, visitors discover a Victorian owner who saved the house from disrepair from 1842. and also Oxygen Freejumping Southampton
2. To celebrate the Tercentenary of Capability Brown Sir Harold Hillier Gardens have published a beautiful colour guide and trail across the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, showing examples of the trees and shrubs that Capability Brown used in his own landscapes.
3. Marwell have a new zone – look out for their lemur walkthrough opening summer 2017!
4. 2017 will mark the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, a number of events and activities such as special exhibitions, tours, talks, performances will be taking place across the county. Find out more with Visit Hampshire
5. Hold your breath and dive into the land of imagination…a brand new magical theme world – Underwater Kingdom at Blackgang Chine – where all is make believe!
6. Whitchurch Silk Mill in Hampshire has received a confirmed grant of £1.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Preserving the Fabric project. The project aims to regenerate the Grade II* listed Georgian gem – the only working silk mill in Britain open to the public – and establish its financial sustainability.
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10 And because it is our birthday year and we want to celebrate with you!

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Whitchurch Silk Mill secures Heritage Lottery Fund investment

Whitchurch Silk Mill in Hampshire has received a confirmed grant of £1.7m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for the Preserving the Fabric project, it was announced today. The project aims to regenerate the Grade II* listed Georgian gem – the only working silk mill in Britain open to the public – and establish its financial sustainability. Whitchurch

Thanks to National Lottery players, the project will see urgent repairs to the Mill’s bell tower, roof and wheelhouse and essential conservation to the late 19th and early 20th century winding, warping and weaving machinery carried out, so that the Mill can continue to weave silk. An educational programme and new exhibition and learning spaces are also planned to make the building more welcoming to the visiting public.

The building will also be made accessible to all by installing a lift to the middle and top floors. The shop building adjacent to the Mill will also be extended to relocate the café at street level to make the most of passing trade, while a new generation of weavers and tacklers will be trained to ensure the skills necessary to operate this working mill survive.

Whitchurch Silk Mill is a Grade II* listed textile mill built in 1815 on the River Test in the small Hampshire town of Whitchurch. It was in continuous use until 1985, when it was saved from inappropriate development and refurbished. It opened to the public in 1990 under the management of Whitchurch Silk Mill Trust. It is only one of four working silk mills in the country and the only one open to visitors, who can see silk being woven on historic machinery.

Sue Tapliss, Mill Director said, “We’re delighted that the Heritage Lottery Fund has given us this support. The 200-year-old building will be conserved under the plans, with access improved for visitors. It’s great to know that we are a step closer to preserving the Mill for another two hundred years”.

Stuart McLeod, Head of HLF South East said: “Thanks to National Lottery players, this fascinating story of silk weaving and water power on the banks of the River Test in Hampshire will be brought to life and preserved for all. Now, the team at the Mill will be able to achieve their vision to transform Whitchurch Silk Mill into a self-sustaining, living, industrial heritage site that weaves silk and enthrals everyone who walks through its doors. We are delighted to support this worthwhile project.”

Read more here…

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January fun and a look ahead to an exciting 2017!

Here at Hampshire’s Top Attractions we are so excited for 2017! With even more attractions throughout Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight to share with you, we’ve got a bumper year ahead. With our new website, loads of new itineraries to help you plan your top day’s out, and our 10th birthday!

 

Let’s start by taking a look at the fun you can have in January…

 

January fun in HampshireDon’t hibernate this winter, gather your tribe and head for the great outdoors at Go Ape. Tree Top Junior is open at weekends all January, enjoy a fun filled hour of tree-to-tree crossings, finishing with a zip finale! One for the whole family to enjoy together. More here…

Kick start 2017 with a bounce and burn off the Christmas indulgence with Oxygen Freejumping. It’s got over 150 interconnected trampolines for you to explore, a mega airbag to practice your moves, performance trampolines so that you can gain some serious airtime, dodgeball courts to challenge your friends, a super squishy foam pit to leap into and lots more activities to get you bouncing! More here…

Kick-start 2017 with an adventure and join New Forest Activities on the beautiful Beaulieu River for their ‘Winter Paddling’ for the great price of just £16pp! It’s an experience you won’t forget and a great way to welcome in the new year! More here…

Robin Hill’s award-winning electric woods event, Spirit of the Orient, that celebrates the Chinese New Year, is back! Taking place 27th – 29th January, then every weekend up to and including February half term, 3rd – 5th, 10th – 12th and 17th – 26thFebruary, from 6pm-10pm each evening. More here…

The Great Nave – 2 Jan – 2 Feb 2017 at Winchester Cathedral. Experience the ‘wow’ of Winchester Cathedral in January when the chairs are removed to reveal the enormity of its vast empty nave. Admission: £7.95 adult annual pass, children under 16 with family FREE. More here…

Learn something new at Gilbert White’s with Preserve Making Workshops, an Entomology course Day and a talk on Bats in Natural History!  The Museum and grounds are open Fri-Sun throughout January! More here…

 

A look ahead to what else is coming up in 2017…

 

look ahead to 2017Keep an eye out for Marwell Zoo’s adorable Amur leopard twins & Amur tiger cubs – growing up fast. Embark on the Wild Explorers Trail collecting stamps of your favourite animals to get a free sticker! Plus, look out for their lemur walkthrough opening summer 2017! More here…

Butser Ancient Farm are expecting baby piglets in the new year! Plus a rare chance to see an Iron Age roundhouse mid build. The Saxon workshop now has shingles on the roof and the Stone Age house has been given a turf topping! More here…

Look out for exciting new developments in Palace House this year – keep an eye on Beaulieu’s website and social media channels for announcements! Plus check out the exciting schedule of events – from motoring to family fun, there’s something for everyone. More here…

To celebrate the Tercentenary of Capability Brown Sir Harold Hillier Gardens have published a beautiful colour guide and trail across the Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, showing examples of the trees and shrubs that Capability Brown used in his own landscapes. More here…

look ahead to 2017Nuffield Southampton Theatres’ new spring season features a host of family favourites including Tall Stories’ magical musical adaptation of Room on the Broom, Curve’s and Rose Theatre Kingston’s mischievous new co-production, The Twits and enchanting family favourite Babe the Sheep-Pig which will come alive with plenty of laughter, thrills and original music. More here…

The Spring Steam Gala opens The Watercress Line’s 2017 season on the 17th-19th February! Make sure to book your tickets! More here…

The Gruffalo comes to Mottisfont in the summer holidays, with a special family exhibition of works by the illustrator Axel Scheffler, featuring many favourites from his personal collection. A fun activity trail will run alongside the gallery show.15 July – 3 September 2017 More here…

New layout in The Vyne house at The Vyne. Immersive ‘moving tapestries’ and music now transport visitors to the visit of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in 1535. As a roof project unfolds, visitors discover a Victorian owner who saved the house from disrepair from 1842. More here…

look ahead to 2017Little Hedgehogs is an outdoor nature themed activity at Staunton Country Park, suitable for children aged 2 and a half years and older with their parent/carer during school term time. There are morning sessions (10:30am – 12:00pm) and afternoon sessions (1:00pm – 2:00pm) on each day. For a full list of dates please follow the link below. More here…

New at The Winchester Science Centre! Learn about our prehistoric friends with a weekend packed full of dinosaur fun. Book for a special hands-on science show and screening of the immersive planetarium show Dinosaurs at Dusk. More here…

2017 will mark the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, a number of events and activities such as special exhibitions, tours, talks, performances will be taking place across the county. Find out more with Visit Hampshire More here… 

Hold your breath and dive into the land of imagination…a brand new magical theme world – Underwater Kingdom at Blackgang Chinre – where all is make believe! Experience the most amazing array of colourful, larger than life, animatronic sea creatures – whilst you discover magical underwater caves, vibrant luminescent coral reef, an abandoned sunken shipwreck and finally, the hidden kingdom….where the biggest mammal of them all will be found floating above you! Due to open Easter 2017. More here…

Hollycombe Steam in the Country will be welcoming back the world’s oldest Haunted House, built by famous Fairground manufacturer’s Orton and Spooner, and over 100 years young! Hollycombe opens again over the Easter Weekend, with its popular ‘pay once, come again for free’ tickets!  More here…

Visit Manor Farm & Country Park and let the kids loose on our new play tractor, combine harvester and pedal tractor circuit in a brand new outdoor play area. Look out for our exciting events throughout the year. More here…

Visit the Hawk Conservancy Trust this spring for a fantastic family day out in the countryside with NEW encounters, MORE birds and BIGGER displays for 2017. More here…

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Oxygen Freejumping

Oxygen Freejumping, Southampton’s favourite trampoline park, opened its doors in December 2015 and hasn’t stopped bouncing since!

It’s got over 150 interconnected trampolines for you to explore, a mega airbag to practice your moves, performance trampolines so that you can gain some serious airtime, dodgeball courts to challenge your friends, a super squishy foam pit to leap into and lots more activities to get you bouncing!

The most popular session is Freejumping where you will have access to all areas of the park. Oxygen Freejumping also hosts dodgeball nights, fitness classes, trampoline coaching lessons, Little O sessions for children aged 5 and under, and parties for all ages!

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Wonderful Beaulieu

Wonderful Beaulieu – In the heart of the New Forest National Park, not far from Southampton, Bournemouth, Winchester, Salisbury and Portsmouth.

beaulieu_wheel_rideImagine a family day out with something for everyone. Here kids and parents will leave the attraction of Beaulieu with nothing but great memories, amazing stories to tell each other – oh, and a huge smile!

If you didn’t know already, there are multiple attractions at Beaulieu, making it the perfect day for the whole family:

For The Kids – There’s Heaps To Check Out:
• Family Fun Trails,
• National Motor Museum Fun Photo Ops,
• A Mini Motor Play Area,
• Kids Driving Circuit,
• World Of Top Gear Test Track Challenge.
PLUS loads of School Holiday Activities too…that should keep them occupied!

Motors, Motors, Motors!
Aside from the fantastic attractions for children, there’s a whole host of other things the family can enjoy. With over 250 vehicles at the National Motor Museum, this fine attraction displays the Best of British.

This encompasses where we are today in the motoring world, our greatest and weirdest achievements, including the F1 Story.

It’s considered “one of the finest collections of cars, motorcycles and motoring memorabilia in the world.” – now that’s gotta be worth checking out, right?

Thought Downton Abbey Was Impressive? Imagine Family Life Here…
Well, Palace House is absolutely steeped in history and once the gatehouse of the Beaulieu Abbey, has also been residence to the Montagu family since…1538. Palace House is one of ten Treasure Houses of England.

Remodelled and extended during the 1800s, this gorgeous piece of history is set in the picturesque New Forest, overlooking the Beaulieu River millpond. 

There are so many fascinating things to experience, starting with family treasures, portraits, and amazing memorabilia.

What’s there to see then?


As of 2016, the late late Lord Montagu’s private apartment has been opened to visitors. The Art Russe Gallery – the first dedicated Soviet Russian art gallery in the UK.

Sink Into Some Brilliant English History At Beaulieu AbbeyMonorail
Another main attraction of Beaulieu is the breathtaking Beaulieu Abbey. The once thriving Cistercian Abbey, now in well-preserved ruins, is a stunning attraction that everyone should visit to look far back into England’s deep and rich history. 
The reviews speak for themselves, we think you’ll agree!

Aside from the remarkable Abbey ruins, there’s a Monastic Life exhibition to visit featuring the story of this 13th Century English Abbey and the medieval Cistercian monks who opted for a devoted life to the church in the isolation of the New Forest.

Beautiful Enough To Tie The Knot!
In case you’re wondering where people choose their stunning wedding location in these grounds, it’s here, at the iconic Beaulieu Parish Church. Once the Monks’ Refectory, this has been the Beaulieu village church ever since Henry VIII gave the order to have the Abbey destroyed back in 1538.

Top Gear Fans, You’ll Be In Heaven
The amazing Top Gear comes to Beaulieu with this special exhibition in homage to the world’s biggest car show. Feel like you’re part of the show and see some of the vehicles Jeremy, Richard & James have managed to destroy during the show in the Challenge Gallery! Visit the Enormodome, recreating the feel of the Top Gear studio and features specially shot behind-the-scenes footage. It really is a great hoot!

The Monorail & Veteran Bus
Fancy exploring the whole of Beaulieu in style? With unlimited rides on the famous Beaulieu Monorail and Veteran Bus included in your entry fee, there’s no excuse not to see this wonderful attraction from a stunning view!

The Monorail a whole mile long and the oldest in England, how about that for some facts? It runs at frequent intervals where the whole family can hop on and off all day for a great way to view all of Beaulieu.

The Veteran Bus is a replica 1912 open-top London bus, with over 140,000 passengers riding each year! Experience some English nostalgia and enjoy a humming gentle ride through the grounds.

Secret Army Exhibition 
Now, bet you didn’t know that Beaulieu housed a secret training establishment for SOE’s during World War 2? 

SOE stands for Special Operations Executive, of which over 3,000 were trained prior to embarking on dangerous and risky undercover operations during the war!

Find out what the agents did at this unique site and the real stories behind the intensive secret training these special operatives had to endure…Beaulieu

Beaulieu’s Grounds & Gardens
These stunning gardens are just magical!
FACT: Were you aware that there are at least 15 different species of daffodil that bloom here at various times during the season?

Apart from the beautiful nature at the gardens, there are some amazing attractions within the gardens themselves, including:

• Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland Topiary – Your favourite characters from the much-loved classic, sitting around their ‘thyme for tea’ herb planted table
• Mill Pond Walk – Vere off the main pathway to enjoy stunning views across the tidal Beaulieu River
• Wilderness Garden – Dating back to the 1770s
• Victorian Kitchen Garden and Flower Garden – Separate gardens providing the Palace House with seasonal fruits, vegetables and flowers

To really relax and enjoy all of this in the grounds, you could even bring a family picnic and breathe in the charm and beauty of this picturesque setting. Dogs are welcome too!

On Screen Cars!
Ever wanted to see your on-screen idol’s car? 

Well, now you can see the cars from your favourite tv show. This attraction is not to missed and something everyone can enjoy and relate to, exhibiting film and tv favourites, including these current exhibits:

• Mr Bean’s Mini
• Del Boy’s Reliant Van
• The Jaguar XKR from the Bond film Die Another Day
• The `flying` Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
• Wallace and Gromit’s Anti-Pesto Van
• The last Cadillac Elvis Presley bought for his own use

With so many different and unique attractions, there really is no place like this in England and it’s a day out guaranteed to give you lasting memories.

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Accessible attractions for you and your family

There’s plenty for the whole family to enjoy throughout Hampshire, for both the young and the young at heart! With great accessibility available at many of Hampshire’s Top Attractions there’s plenty to ensure a great day for everyone!

Maybe you’re looking for a family day out, you want to see some wildlife, or you fancy a bit of culture and history! Whatever you’re looking for, below you’ll find the accessibility details you need to plan your Hampshire days out.

Animals and Wildlife

accessible-attractions
Butser Ancient Farm

Blue Reef Aquarium Portsmouth – see details
Birdworld – see details
Hawk Conservancy – see details
Longdown Activity Farm – see details
Manor Farm – see details
Marwell Zoo – see details
New Forest Wildlife Park – see details

 

Culture and Art

Gilbert Whites House – see details
Hampshire Cultural Trust – Milestones Museum and Basing House – see details
John Hansard Gallery – see details
Mayflower Theatre – see details
Mottisfont – see details
Osborne – see details

 

Family Days Out

gardens-country-house-east-dorset
Beaulieu

Beaulieu – see details
Blackgang Chine – see details
Dinosaur Isle – see details
Paultons Park – see details
Robin Hill Country Park – see details
Romsey Rapids – see details
Emirates Spinnaker Tower – see details
Watercress Line – see details
Whitchurch Silk Mill – see details
Winchester Cathedral – see details
Winchester Science Centre – see details

 

Gardens and Country Parks

Exbury Gardens – see details
Queen Elizabeth Country Park – see details
Royal Victoria Country Park – see details
Sir Harold Hillier Gardens – see details
Staunton Country Park – see details

Buggy-Service
Exbury Gardens

 

Museums and History

Bucklers Hard – see details
Bursledon Brickworks – see details
Butser Ancient Farm – see details
Fort Nelson – see details
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard – see details
Milestones Museum – see details
Museum of Army Flying – see details
New Forest Centre – see details
SeaCity – see details
Tudor House – see details

 

Travel in Hampshire

Hover Travel – see details
Red Funnel – see details
Wight Link – see details

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