Hampshire Things to Do

  Action stations (for kids and dads)
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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

Winchester

by grayfo

Winchester is a cathedral city in central southern England and was historically referred to as Winton or Wintonceastre. Winchester was also the ancient capital of Wessex and England. The city is the county town of Hampshire and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of the River Itchen.Winchester is the burial place of many of England’s Kings, Queens, Saints, and famous people such as Jane Austen, Izaac Walton and Keats. Here the rule of Common Law was established, the Domesday Book compiled, and the Winchester Bible written.May 2011

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Lyndhurst

by grayfo

Lyndhurst is often referred to as the Capital of the New Forest; the village is in a broadly central location surrounded by the land, and stands at a junction of historic routes. Lyndhurst is also the largest village within the New Forest and is a popular tourist location with many independent shops, art galleries, cafés, restaurants, pubs and hotels.May 2011

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Mottisfont Abbey & Garden

by Helga67

Mottisfont abbey was a former medieval priory and converted into a mansion later on. You can visit a limited part of the house where there are some nice rooms, especially the Whistler Room, an unusual drawing room with trompe-l'oeil murals decorated by Rex Whistler. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photos inside.There is a walled garden that contains the national collection of old fashioned roses. There are over 300 varieties. The best time to visit the garden is in the last 2 weeks of June when the roses are in bloom. It's great to wander around the garden with its pergolas, arches and the scents from the roses. There are also other beautiful flowers that give the garden a pallet of intense colours. Have a look at my travelogue for more pictures of the walled garden.Near the walled garden there is a gift shop and a cafe.Admission fee: 7 GBP (8 GBP in June).

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Aldermaston Wharf - Canal lock & pub

by StarCruiser

I may live in Hampshire, but I'm minutes away from Aldermaston Wharf in Berkshire.On a sunny afternoon, pay a visit to Aldermaston Wharf and the Butt Inn country pub. It has a car park and serves good food either indoors our outdoors. Afterwards take a short stroll towards the Canal (you can't miss it - 200yds away) and walk off lunch along the Kennet & Avon Canal. This is a key spot for canal barges and you'll come across working locks in either direction.If you're not into pubs, there's a small visitor center nearby where you can puchase ice-creams / tea & coffee instead.....The nearby pretty village of Aldermaston also has a lovely pub/restaurant with enclosed play area out the back called the Hinds Head

Paultons Play Park

by LouiseTopp

Near The New Forest is an area which has been named the South’s Family Leisure Park. It is near the M27 on your way towards Totton near Southampton. There’s ample parking & is a great place to visit given that that the weather stays fine. There’s a mini log flume for children. The cars are shaped like seals; there’s a long queue during the summer. The park itself is in 140 acres of parkland with a large notice at the entrance. There’s a lake in the shape of a horseshoe & lots of quiet walks which are secluded, part of which passes through Dinosaur Wood. There’s a countryside museum with displays of Romany Life as the Gypsies experienced it , caravans can be seen, and you can look through the doors at how we lived.Trundle carts or ‘stroll-a-saureses’ can be hired, which you pay for, but I think it is refundable. The pirate ship is not a ride for the faint hearted & go kart racing will...

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New Forest Museum

by LouiseTopp

The New Forest Visitor Centre is a must to see. It shows you in moving pictures, of how the forest is season by season.There is a large interactive map intended to allow the tourist to discover some of the major basics of the Forest's account from beginning to end of its natural features. Two touch-screen PC interactives allow people to discover the past of the New Forest at their freedom & in an exhilarating means.The rest of the ground floor is dedicated to the accepted life of the New Forest by revealing the various environments within the Forest and showing what kinds of plant life & animals occupy each. Here another well-designed touch-screen computer lets explorations into the Forest's wildlife & habitats through numerous choices. This is instructive but at the same time inspiring & pleasurable. Admission to the first floor displays are by an eye-catching staircase. Here the famous...

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Portsmouth

by leffe3

Portsmouth may be today a significant port, but by modern standards the city is relatively new. Whilst there were a scattering of homes from Roman times (the main settlement was Portchester - Portus Adorni - across the bay), it wasn't until the end of the 12th century that Portsmouth began to develop as a town/city in its own right. Its location for a naval yard was the prime reason - the invasion of France the goal. Henry VIII bestowed Portsmouth as the home of the Royal Navy he himself established - but this wasn't before the French fleet had consistently attacked the town, leading to a number of fortifications being built around the city and immediate environs. The First Fleet, bound for Australia with a 'cargo' of prisoners, departed from Portsmouth in 1787.Heavily bombed during WWII, Portsmouth is a city of approximately 200,000 people. It's not a glamourous destination, but has a...

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Winchester

by leffe3

Winchester is the former capital of the Kingdom of Wessex and, for approximately 200 years in the 10/11th centuries, capital of England. And this small city oozes history.The cathedral is an obvious draw: it has the longest Nave in a Gothic cathedral in Europe, although something of a stump for a tower. The extensive ruins of the former Bishop's Palace, Wolvesey, are a few minutes from the cathedral, as is The Great Hall and King Arthur's 'roundtable'. It's an attractive city - its location and transport links with the rest of the country has made Winchester one of the most expensive places to live in England.

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Netley Abbey

by leffe3

Just as with the nearby Titchfield Abbey (see previous tip), Netley Abbey was founded by the Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches in the 13th century, sold off to a private estate following Henry VIII's Dissolution of the Monasteries, converted to a private residence and then abandoned and partially demolished to create a 'romantic ruin' in the 18th century.And, like Titchfield, the ruins are now managed by English Heritage who provide free, year-round access.Founded in 1239 for the Cistercian order, des Roches died before completion - the loss of the main benefactor of the Abbey meaning that it financially struggled until taken under the patronage of King Henry III in the mid 1240s. It never excelled as a centre of excellence and was sold off in 1536 to Sir William Paulet, Henry VIII's Lord Treasurer and later Marquise of Winchester.He immediately set about creating a palace fit for...

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Titchfield Abbey

by leffe3

A beautiful ruin near the town of Fareham on the Hampshire coast, Titchfield Abbey is now managed by English Heritage.Built in 1222 by the then Bishop of Winchester, Peter des Roches (who also founded the nearby Netley Abbey - see separate tip - and Halesowen Abbey in Worcestershire), Titchfield was home to canons (as opposed to monks) of the Premonstratensian order (also known as 'white canons' due the colour of their robes).. Austere, the canons not only included a life of study and prayer but also a pastoral mission, serving as parish priests.Whilst not overly important from a political perspective, the Abbey, with extensive lands endowed by des Roches, was relatively wealthy. It wasn't a particularly large Abbey, but money was spent on the buildings, evidenced by the polychrome floor tiles from the 14th century that still dot the site today.Its proximity to the ports of Southampton...

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Fun things to do in Hampshire

Top 3 Hotels in Hampshire

The Clarence Hotel  Portsmouth

 1 Review and 287 Opinions  Staying here was a wonderful luxurious experience, we were greeted by Laura who poured us a... 

 Hotels in Portsmouth

Holiday Inn Winchester  Winchester

 1 Review and 181 Opinions  After a rather disasterous start with our original hotel having a wedding, so no facilities... 

 Hotels in Winchester

Novotel Southampton  Southampton

 1 Review and 305 Opinions  Business stay for a couple day's Good food and great place. Around the hotel are shopping centres. 

 Hotels in Southampton

302 Hotels in Hampshire
 
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Reviews and photos of Hampshire attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Hampshire sightseeing.

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Things to Do: Cities in Hampshire
  1. Portsmouth Things to Do
  2. Southampton Things to Do
  3. Winchester Things to Do
  4. Southampton Things to Do
  5. Lymington Things to Do
  6. Basingstoke Things to Do
  7. New Forest Things to Do
  8. Beaulieu Things to Do
  9. Lyndhurst Things to Do
  10. Silchester Things to Do
  11. Gosport Things to Do
  12. Farnborough Things to Do
  13. Hythe Things to Do
  14. Aldershot Things to Do
  15. Romsey Things to Do
  16. Barton on Sea Things to Do
  17. West Meon Things to Do
  18. Southampton Things to Do

More Cities in Hampshire

 

Questions and Answers

joeted profile photo

Q:  Hello all Me and a friend are out for a walk tomorrow and was wondering if anyone knows any nice walks with good photo... 

joeted profile photo

A: I live in Basingstoke by the way if that helps. Thanks 

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