Hampshire is a historic county in South East England known for its diverse landscapes, rich heritage sites, maritime cities, and vibrant cultural and outdoor activities.
Christchurch Castle in Dorset is a historic Norman motte and bailey castle featuring ruins of a stone keep and the Constable's House, a rare Norman domestic dwelling. The site offers outdoor exploration of the castle grounds and gardens, as well as indoor experience of the preserved Constable's House, managed by English Heritage.
Christchurch is a historic town on the south coast of Dorset, England, featuring a medieval priory, castle ruins, a picturesque harbour, and vibrant cultural events, making it a popular and accessible tourist destination.
Domus Dei, also known as the Royal Garrison Church in Old Portsmouth, Hampshire, is a historic Early English period church dating back to around 1212. It is a partially roofless church due to WWII bomb damage, restored as a Garrison church and holds significant historical events, including royal connections. Managed by English Heritage, it is a Grade II listed building.
Stonehenge is a prehistoric megalithic monument on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire, England, famous for its massive standing stones arranged in a circular layout aligned with the sunrise and sunset of solstices. It is a World Heritage Site managed by English Heritage, with a visitor centre offering facilities. The monument is set within a landscape rich in other Neolithic and Bronze Age sites, attracting tourists for its archaeological significance and seasonal events like the solstice.
Figsbury Ring is an ancient earthwork site in Wiltshire featuring Neolithic and Iron Age archaeological remains set within protected grassland on a chalk ridge, managed by the National Trust and open to the public as a significant outdoor historical landmark.
Farnham Castle is a historic 12th-century castle in Surrey that served as the residence of the Bishops of Winchester for over 800 years, featuring a preserved shell keep, curtain walls, historic gardens, and a visitors' exhibition detailing its 900-year history. It offers indoor tours of the keep and palace with outdoor exploration of its grounds and gardens.
Farnham is a historic market town in Surrey featuring a castle, vibrant arts scene, independent shops, and scenic walking routes including the start of the North Downs Way.
Ludgershall Castle is a historical ruined 12th-century royal residence in Ludgershall, Wiltshire, featuring large surviving walls and earthworks. It was used as a hunting lodge by King John and Henry III and is now a scheduled monument open to the public as an outdoor historical site.
Ludgershall is a historic market town in Wiltshire with notable heritage sites including Ludgershall Castle and a medieval preaching cross, offering visitors a rich history and charming architecture.
Ludshott Common and Waggoners Wells is a National Trust nature reserve in Hampshire featuring heathland, man-made ponds, woodland, and diverse wildlife habitats. Visitors can enjoy walking, birdwatching, fishing, and exploring historically significant natural features.
King James's and Landport Gates are historic gateways in Portsmouth, Hampshire, originally part of 14th-century town walls with significant roles in controlling access to the city. King James's Gate was built in 1687 and moved from its original position, while Landport Gate, built in 1760, remains in its original location, both representing key military and civic heritage sites.
Hurst Castle is a historic 16th-century artillery fort located on Hurst Spit in Hampshire, England, built by Henry VIII to protect the Solent. It features extensive 19th-century gun batteries, an active lighthouse, and served military roles through two World Wars. Now managed by English Heritage, the site offers visitors a glimpse into England's coastal defence history amid ongoing conservation efforts due to coastal erosion.
9 Oct, 16 Oct…
Join a guided tour of the Needles Old Battery to explore its military history, surviving structures and stories of the people who lived and served there. The tour is led by Jo and Steve from Restore the Story CIC.
Flowerdown Barrows is a Bronze Age archaeological site featuring three ancient burial mounds including a well-preserved disc barrow, located near Littleton in Hampshire. The site offers an outdoor historical experience with significant prehistoric heritage.
Marlands Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping mall in Southampton offering a variety of retail stores, cafes, a food court, and family-friendly amenities including a soft play area and axe throwing venue. It features postmodern architecture and has undergone multiple renovations since its 1991 opening.
Hinton Ampner is a National Trust country house and garden estate in Hampshire, featuring a neo-Georgian mansion with rich interiors and extensive 20th-century gardens, alongside a historic village and church. Visitors can explore both the indoor historic house museum and the outdoor gardens and parkland.
5–18 Oct (another 9 days)
Hinton Ampner: Unseen is an exhibition revealing rarely displayed objects, hidden areas and stories from the historic house. Visitors can explore furniture, the China Store and the conservation work involved in caring for the collections.
Sandham Memorial Chapel is a Grade I listed chapel in Burghclere, Hampshire, featuring a series of World War I inspired murals by artist Stanley Spencer, run by the National Trust as a historic site open to the public.
8–11 Oct, 15–18 Oct…
A pop-up tea room in the exhibition cottage where visitors can help themselves to tea or coffee served in vintage cups, with a biscuit.
Waverley Abbey is the first Cistercian abbey founded in England, now a historic ruin managed by English Heritage, offering free public access to its extensive 13th-century structures and WWII relics set in scenic Surrey countryside.
Westquay is a major shopping centre in Southampton, offering over 130 retail stores including major brands, a wide range of dining options, a cinema, and leisure facilities all within a large indoor complex heated by geothermal energy.
Woodhenge is a Neolithic timber circle and henge monument near Stonehenge, featuring six rings of postholes marked by concrete pillars in an outdoor archaeological site. Visitors can explore the historic timber circle, part of the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, dating from around 2470-2000 BCE.
Cascades Shopping Centre is a single-storey enclosed shopping mall in Portsmouth city centre, featuring over 60 retail stores including major high street names, with convenient multi-storey parking integrated.
Birdworld is the UK's largest bird park featuring over 180 bird species, including many endangered, with outdoor exhibits such as the themed Terry Pratchett Owl Parliament, free-flying parrot aviary, and penguin colonies. It offers a family-friendly outdoor wildlife experience in Hampshire.
Winchester City Mill is a restored watermill from 1744 in Winchester, offering historical water-powered flour milling, weekend demonstrations, a café, and wildlife viewing including otters.
Stockbridge Down is a National Trust biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire featuring an Iron Age hillfort, Bronze Age burial mounds, diverse butterfly species, and distinct chalk and grassland habitats.
Sparsholt College is a further and higher education agricultural college in Hampshire offering countryside-based courses such as Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Management with a campus in Sparsholt and an emphasis on practical and technical education.
The Hawk Conservancy Trust is a bird park and conservation charity in Hampshire with over 130 birds of prey, woodland and meadow habitats, and a national bird hospital. It offers outdoor bird displays and conservational work.
Fareham Shopping Centre is a large indoor shopping centre located in the heart of Fareham, Hampshire, featuring multiple atriums, a variety of retail stores, cafes, and convenient parking facilities.
Rosetta Cottage is a Victorian manor house in Cowes, Isle of Wight, known for its connection to Winston Churchill's parents' marriage proposal. It comprises two holiday cottages managed by the National Trust and is part of the island's Churchill Trail.
The Vyne is a historic 16th-century Tudor country house near Basingstoke, Hampshire, showcasing a blend of Tudor and classical architecture with notable features such as the earliest classical portico in England, a Tudor chapel, an early long gallery, and a grand imperial staircase. The house is set within landscaped grounds including a lake, and is open to the public as a National Trust property.
7 Oct–8 Nov (another 30 days)
Families can follow an interactive trail through The Vyne’s gardens, searching for characters from Tom Fletcher’s Who’s In Your Book? series and completing playful challenges.
Osborne House is a former royal residence in East Cowes, Isle of Wight, built as a summer home for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Visitors can explore the grand Italianate architecture, royal apartments, extensive gardens, and enjoy the unique historic setting including a private beach and the Durbar Room with Indian influences. The site offers a mix of indoor and outdoor experiences with historic interiors and landscaped grounds.
East Cowes is a historic town on the Isle of Wight known for its royal connections, maritime heritage, and walking routes along the River Medina. It features landmarks such as Osborne House and Norris Castle, along with a lively town center and transport links via ferry and bus services.
Woolbeding House is an 18th-century Grade I listed country house in West Sussex with historic architecture and extensive gardens open to the public, featuring a unique kinetic glasshouse and artistic garden installations.
Netley Abbey is a historic 13th-century Cistercian monastery ruin near Southampton, Hampshire. Visitors can explore the extensive ruins of the abbey church, cloister buildings, and abbot's house set within picturesque wooded parkland. The site is managed by English Heritage and is notable as one of the best preserved medieval monasteries of its kind in southern England.
Fort Brockhurst is a historic 19th-century Palmerston Fort in Gosport, Hampshire, built to protect Portsmouth. Now an English Heritage site, it features a moat, drawbridge, a circular moated keep, heavy artillery on ramparts and is occasionally open to the public with grounds freely accessible.
The Medieval Merchant's House in Southampton is a restored late-13th-century timber-framed building showcasing medieval domestic and commercial architecture. Visitors can explore its original layout including a shop front, vaulted cellar, and period furnishings, preserved as a historic house museum by English Heritage.
Festival Place is a large indoor shopping centre in Basingstoke featuring over 200 shops, dining options, a cinema, sports and discovery centres, and a trampoline park, making it suitable for families and diverse visitors.
7 Oct, 10 Oct…
A volunteer-led tour exploring Georgian owner John Chute’s life, relationships and influence on The Vyne’s architecture and interiors. Visitors see highlights including the Neo-classical portico, historic chapel features and Tudor Oak Gallery.
Basingstoke is a historic market town in Hampshire with a rich heritage including Roman and medieval sites, thriving cultural venues, extensive shopping and leisure facilities, and strong transport links by rail and bus.
Newtown Old Town Hall is a historic Tudor-style municipal building on the Isle of Wight, owned by the National Trust. Visitors can explore its historic interiors and learn about its role in UK parliamentary history and Ferguson's Gang.
Selborne Common is a protected biological Site of Special Scientific Interest in Hampshire, featuring ancient beechwood, diverse wildlife including rare butterflies and birds, wildflowers, and historic field systems. It offers outdoor exploration within a nationally managed nature reserve accessible via public footpaths.
Titchfield Abbey is a medieval Premonstratensian abbey in Hampshire with surviving church ruins, a Tudor gatehouse, and historic fishponds. Converted into a Tudor mansion post-Dissolution, it is now a preserved historic site open to the public under English Heritage care.
The Pepperbox is an historic hexagonal folly tower built in 1606 on Pepperbox Hill, Wiltshire. It offers panoramic views across the surrounding countryside including Salisbury. The tower is a Grade II listed building and a notable early folly, owned and preserved by the National Trust.
Fort Cumberland is a historic pentagonal artillery fort in Southsea, Hampshire, protecting the entrance to Langstone Harbour and the Royal Navy Dockyard. Now managed by English Heritage, it offers pre-booked guided tours of its extensive masonry fortifications and houses a distillery and veterans charities within its casemates.
Yarmouth Castle is a 16th-century artillery fort on the Isle of Wight featuring an innovative arrow-head bastion design. Visitors can explore its historic gun platform, original courtyard buildings, and the Master Gunner's House. The castle has a rich military history, including use in both World Wars, and is maintained by English Heritage as a tourist attraction.
Yarmouth is a picturesque port town on the Isle of Wight known for its historic streets, a Tudor castle, a long timber pier, and maritime heritage with ferry connections to the mainland.
Mompesson House is an 18th-century Queen Anne style historic house in Salisbury, Wiltshire, owned by the National Trust. Visitors can explore its carefully restored Georgian interiors and collections of 18th-century decorative arts. The house was also a filming location for the movie Sense and Sensibility.
9–13 Oct, 16–20 Oct…
Explore Mompesson House dressed to reflect the Portman family’s time there and learn about Regency life and the family’s social calendar. Visitors can see a Regency parlour and children’s playroom, take part in activities, and follow a spotter trail around the house.
Uppark is a Grade I listed 17th-century historic house museum in West Sussex, open to the public as a National Trust property. It features extensive collections from the 18th century, has been carefully restored after a major fire in 1989, and holds historical significance including ties to writer H. G. Wells.
Mottisfont Abbey is a Grade I listed historic estate and former priory in Hampshire, featuring a historic house museum, extensive gardens with a renowned rose collection, riverside walks, and seasonal cultural and children's activities. Operated by the National Trust, it combines meaningful indoor and outdoor experiences with art exhibitions and family-friendly events.
5 Oct–1 Nov (another 23 days)
A Halloween trail based on the children’s books, in which families follow the Bunnies of Hoppity Hill as they search for hidden ghosts around Mottisfont. Activities include choosing a bunny name, playing Halloween hoopla and racing broomsticks before a celebration party.
Gunwharf Quays is a vibrant shopping centre in Portsmouth featuring a wide range of retail stores, dining options, and a cinema, set within a historic former military site including restored buildings and the landmark Spinnaker Tower.
The Stonehenge Landscape is a National Trust estate in Wiltshire, encompassing over 2100 acres around the prehistoric Stonehenge monument. It features extensive ancient earthworks, burial mounds, and open access chalk grassland reversion areas, preserving historic and natural heritage.
Calshot Castle is a historic 16th-century artillery fort situated on Calshot Spit in Hampshire, England. It was built by Henry VIII as part of the coastal defence strategy and later used as a seaplane base. The castle features a circular keep, curtain wall, and moat, with restoration reflecting its early 20th-century appearance. Today, it is managed by English Heritage and open to the public for exploration of its rich military and architectural heritage.
Marden Henge is the UK's largest Neolithic henge enclosure, featuring a vast oval earthwork bordered partly by the River Avon. It is an archaeological site of great significance with timber structures and ancient artifacts, reflecting ceremonial uses during the Neolithic period, located near the villages of Marden in Wiltshire.
Stockbridge Common Marsh is a 64.8 ha biological Site of Special Scientific Interest featuring diverse wetland habitats along the River Test flood plain in Hampshire, with rich flora.
The Grange is a historic 19th-century Greek Revival country house and English landscape park in Hampshire, England, known for its architectural significance, extensive gardens, and as a venue for opera and cultural events. Visitors can explore its gardens, exterior monument, and attend performances in the converted orangery theatre.
Netheravon House is a Grade II* listed neoclassical historic hunting lodge completed around 1734 in Netheravon, Wiltshire, with notable outbuildings including an 18th-century dovecote and stable block. It has extensive grounds and historical significance from its military use.
Portchester Castle is a historic medieval fortress built within a Roman Saxon Shore fort in Hampshire, England. Visitors can explore both the extensive outdoor castle grounds and inner bailey as well as indoor ruins and exhibits, experiencing rich history from Roman times to the Napoleonic Wars. The site features Norman architecture, royal apartments, and is managed by English Heritage.
Gosport is a historic coastal town in Hampshire, England, known for its naval heritage, museums, fortifications, and waterfront marinas, offering visitors cultural and maritime attractions along with scenic waterfront views.
Marwell Zoo in Hampshire is a large wildlife park featuring diverse animal exhibits, including endangered species, accompanied by playgrounds, food outlets and conservation efforts. It offers an outdoor family-friendly experience within the historic Marwell Hall estate.
New Forest Wildlife Park is a zoological park focused on native British wildlife and global otters and owls, offering conservation projects, animal exhibits including a butterfly walk-through, and visitor facilities like a café and gift shop.
White Barrow is a large Neolithic long barrow on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, England, notable as the first ancient monument purchased by the National Trust and a protected archaeological site dating back to 3500-4000 BC.
West Green House is an 18th-century country house and garden in Hampshire known for its distinctive gardens and annual summer opera season performed outdoors. It features six unique walled gardens, a lake with a fountain, and classical architecture elements, offering both indoor and outdoor experiences, with food available on site.
Old Sarum Castle is an 11th century motte-and-bailey castle ruin in Salisbury, Wiltshire, set within an ancient Iron Age hillfort and managed by English Heritage, offering visitors an outdoor historical experience of medieval fortifications and earthworks.
16–20 Oct, 23–27 Oct…
Families can use the Stranger Folk app to follow the Crone through an interactive folklore adventure at Mompesson House, completing magical challenges to help close a rift between the human and spirit worlds.
Bishop's Waltham Palace is a ruined medieval bishop's palace in Hampshire, England, known for its historical importance and royal connections. The moated ruins are open to the public and host local events, offering visitors an outdoor historical experience.
Bishop's Waltham is a historic medieval market town in Hampshire with notable ruins of Bishop's Waltham Palace, a well-preserved high street with independent shops, rich history, local nature reserves, and cultural activities.