There are so many places and things to see and do when on holiday in our area.
Here we made a list of our favourite things for both all the family.
Local Villages
No Need to Bring Lunch
When staying at The Crest you are surrounded by quintessential English villages. Think fetes, church concerts, and garden fairs, it’s all here. Nothing beats sitting in a proper country pub on a beautiful day, surrounded by actual fields, sheep and genuine village gossip. All the eccentricity of pastoral English life is there.
Within easy reach are quaint tearooms and pubs complete the picture-postcard appeal
Droxford: An award winning village pub The Bakers Arms) spoils you for choice with their seasonal menu. A Norman Church (St. Mary’s) is a beautiful place to start a lovely walk by the River Meon and across the countryside.
Wickham: The village square is surrounded by Tea Rooms, pretty little shops including Chesapeake Mill, Pubs & Restaurants.
Bishops Waltham: Along with Bishops Waltham Palace (Bishops Waltham Palace), there are some cute shops, a couple of gorgeous coffee shops (Josie’s & No. 60) & historic Church (St. Peter’s).
Explore and find Meonstoke (Superb Village shop & The Bucks Head Pub), Exton (Shoe Inn), West Meon (Thomas Lord Pub) along with many others in the area.a
Nearby Cities
Winchester has so many things to offer,
Shopping – All the major retail therapy available
History (The Great Hall & King Arthurs Round Table, Winchester Military Museums, Winchester Cathedral)
Culture (Theatre Royal, Winchester Discovery Centre & Winchester Space & Science Centre)
The Christmas Market
- Scenery & Walks (Winchester Water Meadows)
Chichester, Salisbury, Petersfield, Portsmouth, Southampton are also within 30 minutes of the house.
To reach London I would recommend leaving from Southampton Parkway Train Station and it should take 1.5 hours by train.
Paultons Park (Peppa Pig World)
Paultons Park is only 35 minutes away by car. Paultons is a family theme park is with over 70 rides and attractions.
Home to The Lost Kingdom and Peppa Pig World it is an absolute must for visitors with young Children. Opening at 10am, plan for a FULL day out and don’t forget to pack swim wear for the little ones.
Be sure to lather on the sunscreen when you go if it’s a sunny day – the UK is not set up for sun and shade is limited!
December and not sunny? Paultons is an absolutely fab place to visit Father Christmas in his grotto from mid December onwards. Be sure to book though as tickets do sell fast. After visiting the bearded man himself you then have full access to the Park.
Once you’ve finished at the park, I cannot recommend highly enough a stop at The Mortimer Arms pub for a family friendly dinner before your drive home (with sleeping kids in the back of the car).
https://youtu.be/xRJ7G9hLWjI
Southwick Revival Weekend
Southwick Revival is a annual event, taking place in June. It spans an entire weekend, growing each year, commemorating the D-Day Landings.
Featuring visits to the impressive Map Room at Southwick Park. Visitors can indulge in the sights and smells of 1940’s England whilst wandering through the Squires Paddock filled with a vintage fun fair.
Refuel on home made cake from Ma Attwell’s tearoom, treat yourselves to homemade pies from the pie stall!
The motorcade is quite something as it rumbles through the village!
https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8bm9dx
Marwell Zoo
Marwell Zoo is a 140 acre zoo located just beyond Bishops Waltham, just 15 minutes away. The zoo has hundreds of animals including tigers, giraffe’s and hipo’s, beautiful grounds and a fun train to take the weight off of your legs for a bit.
Marwell Zoo became the first zoon in the UK to host a collection of giant LEGO brick animals, with 81 stunning sculptures.
Just before the zoo you’ll see a signpost for Marwell Adventure Barn, this is a great indoor play area to take children aged up to 10 on a rainy day. The café there is also great for both grown up and kids food.
The Hawk Conservancy
The Hawk Conservancy Trust is a full day out for all the family; Get the children outside and immersed in nature, have fun, learn, be inspired and amazed.
You will witness some of the most spectacular flying displays in the UK, as well as having the opportunity to meet a bird of prey!
The Hawk Conservancy was founded as a zoo by local farmers Reg and Hilary Smith; and is set inside 22 acres of striking countryside. It is now a registered charity and the site of the National Bird of Prey Hospital, taking in injured birds of prey.
It’s a full day out with plenty of areas to explore, a huge variety of hawks and other birds of prey from all over the world, and hands on activities to take part in.
The grounds are level and easy to walk and so accessible to all, the keepers are very knowledgeable about their subjects and provide interesting, informative talks about the birds and their habitats. Dolores is a star turn in the vulture feeding talk!
The Mid Hants Railway – Watercress Line
The Watercress Line is best visited from Alresford, a charming Georgian town with independent shops, a picturesque river walk with medieval Fulling Mill, and lovely cafes.
You can either take part in one of their special events including a Real Ale Train, The Summer Fare, The Santa Train or Day Out With Thomas (to name a few!), or simply watch the beautiful trains from the platform for free. Remember to book ahead if interested in these special events as they sell out quickly.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/_JsNxN5-c40
Highclere Castle
Spend a day exploring ‘The Real Downton Abbey“.
The Castle holds many special events throughout the year including a Country Show, Battle Proms Picnic and Vintage Garden Party.
It really is a stunning Estate.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Should you not have been to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard before I cannot recommend this as a day out enough.
The Mary Rose, HMS Warrior & HMS Victory are right here, along with tours around the harbour.
This is a full day out suitable for all ages with a superb cafeteria.
If you are interested in Maritime attractions also in the area are the Explosion and Submarine Museums in Gosport, and if you decide to visit all three the best value for money is to purchase an annual pass.
Horse Riding
A seasoned rider or would like to try your hand for the 1st time, you are in the perfect spot for horse riding.
Cheryl at South Downs Trekkers offer many options from the age of 4 upwards for riding amongst our stunning scenery.
Southsea
Southsea Seafront is a really fun seaside area. With so much going on from Kite festivals, Heavy Horse shows, Vintage car rallies (including Beach Buggin annual event in August), Historical re-enactments & Music concerts to name but a few. With Clarence Pier funfair, slot machines, deck chairs, ice creams and Fish & Chip shops, along with dog friendly areas this is a seaside that everyone can enjoy.
Walks & Cycling
The Crest is in a very special part of England and I hope you feel this as soon as you arrive, it’s certainly our goal. Some guests come with walks and cycle routes already planned, others don’t, but will start exploring once they are here.
The following links contain a few ideas to get you going;
Droxford to Old Winchester Hill
Droxford & Meonstoke
Circular Droxford Soberton Walk (2.5 Hrs)
Winter Walk Ideas
Hinton Ampner Walks
Droxford Old Railway Line
Explore Droxford Leaflet
Discovery Map of the Area
The Nearby beaches of Hill Head and Lee-On-Solent are also beautiful to walk along and have areas which are Dog friendly, including this lovely café Breezes Café (also Dog friendly).
Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson is located on Portsdown Hill and a favourite local place of mine to take the kids, for free (car park £3) and spend a good afternoon.
Fort Nelson was built in the 1860s to protect against a potential invasion by the French, which never materialised, displaying over 700 items of artillery from many countries and spanning 600 years are brought to life whilst sensitively telling the unique stories behind them.
Activities inside and out with a smashing café.
Step back in time and explore a fully restored Victorian fort with its high ramparts, original fortifications, massive parade ground and underground tunnels, plus a national museum housing over 700 pieces of artillery from across the world and spanning 600 years of history – each with their own story to tell.
Although never used for its original purpose the Fort played a significant role in both World Wars; as barracks for troops waiting to be deployed to the front line in the First, and as an anti-aircraft ammunition supply depot during the Second.
Highlights of the collection on display include an innovative 15th-century Turkish bombard, a gigantic 200-tonne railway howitzer and the infamous Iraqi supergun. With an exciting collection of big guns, stunning panoramic views, entertaining children’s activities, a museum shop packed with gifts and souvenirs, and a café serving delicious refreshments – there is something for everyone to enjoy.
The Fort is open from 10 am – 5 pm daily (April – October) and 10 am – 4 pm (November – March).
A Trip on a Hovercraft
The Hovercraft Museum: Exclusive collection of over 60 Hovercraft including James Bond, Scrap Heap Challenge, military, racing, commercial, home builds, models, and archives.
Open every Saturday 10 am until 4 pm except for a brief closure during the Winter period. https://www.hovercraft-museum.org/
https://www.hovertravel.co.uk/
Bombay Sapphire Distillery
The Bombay Sapphire Gin Distillery and visitors centre opened in autumn 2014 on the site of a 300 year old paper mill in Laverstoke, just outside the village of Whitchurch Hampshire.
The site boasts a collection of original buildings, over 40 of them and some Grade II listed, they have been either lovingly restored or carefully removed should they have been a recent industrial addition. This was all carried out working alongside Government agencies English Nature & English Heritage to maintain and reveal the beauty and heritage of the site. The result is a stunning work of art, bringing the village to life, widening and revealing parts of the River Test that had been hidden by a concrete channel allowing nature to flourish.
All this before you even step inside the buildings! The visitors centre is not simply a simulation of the process, it follows the real distillation procedure including the large statuesque cooper Gin stills, one of which is over 200 years old, and the glasshouses growing the 10 particular plant species required for the Botanical Gin (they even worked out a heat exchange process between the distilling process and the glasshouse).
Ask me for a Bombay Sapphire discount code to get 20% off your entrance fee valid Sunday-Friday
http://distillery.bombaysapphire.com/
Manor & Staunton Country Parks
Crabbing / Walking / Little Farms / Childrens Play Dens
We are located within The South Downs and as such are spoilt for choice for outside space. If you’re looking for a day outside with the entire family or perhaps want to give a pair of adults the day off to chill out at the house while you go off exploring I would recommend either one of these country parks, you wont be disappointed: Link to Manor Farm Link to Staunton Park
The Solent Sky Museum
The Solent Sky Museum began as the RJ Mitchell Memorial Museum in 1974. Since that time they have expanded to include all aviation in Hampshire and on the Isle of Wight, the region known as the Solent.
The Museum houses over 20 aircraft from the golden age of aviation with the Supermarine Spitfire at it’s core, which was designed and built in Southampton!
Find out more here: https://www.solentsky.org/
Historic Living Museums & Farms
Weld & Downland
Home of ‘The Repair Shop” The Weld & Downland is a family-friendly 40-acre site and a collection of more than 50 historic buildings – from a replica Anglo-Saxon hall house to an Edwardian tin tabernacle church.
There is a regular programme of demonstrations, including milling in our 17th century watermill; cooking in our Tudor kitchen; blacksmithing in our Victorian smithy; plus seasonal demonstrations.
Take a walk in the woods, bring the dog, visit our waterside café (also dog-friendly) or enjoy your own picnic. http://www.wealddown.co.uk/
Butser Ancient Farm
Butser Ancient Farm is a unique experimental archaeology site nestled into the rolling countryside of the South Downs National Park.
The farm features archaeological internationally famous reconstructions of ancient buildings from the Stone Age, Iron Age, Roman Britain and the Anglo-Saxon period.
Butser Farm also grow crops from prehistory and keep rare breeds of animals, including pigs, goats and sheep. http://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/
Southampton SeaCity Museum
The SeaCity Museum tells the story of fascinating lives of the people of Southampton and their historic connections with Titanic and sea. The Museum brings maritime history to life through an interactive experience designed for all ages. SeaCity Muse
Vineyards & Breweries
We have delightful Vineyards and Breweries to either visit or pre-order your selection from for delivery straight to The Crest. Hambledon Vineyard puts on some great events throughout the year, I highly recommend taking a look to see what’s on during your stay Hambledon Events.
Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium
The Winchester space and science centre is a fun day out for everyone, not just children!
Along with the standing interactive exhibits and planetarium the centre often has addition events which range from evening talks, old school movie screenings, to half term fun activities.
Book 3 days online in advance to save 25% Winchester Science Centre
Golf & Cricket
Corhampton Golf course is a stones throw away from The Crest – really! So bring your clubs along and enjoy a round on this friendly and welcoming club. Corhampton Golf Course
Are you a cricket fanatic? You don’t have to feel like you are missing out on the action! Pop along to The Agnes, the home of Hampshire cricket. The Ageas Bowl
Monkey World
Monkey World may be an hour away but many of our guests make the trip to this fabulous rescue and rehabilitation centre.
The centre is open every day apart from Christmas day and all admission prices go towards the work they do.
To book visit monkeyworld.org
Chawton House
It was in this pretty Hampshire cottage that Jane Austen wrote all 6 of her novels Janeaustens.house
Discover ‘The Big house’ as Jane Austen described it. Wander around the tranquil gardens and beautifully restored house. To find out more or to book your tickets visit chawtonhouse.org
Please always feel free to get in touch for any recommendations during your stay.
Have Fun Exploring, Jo