The South of England is the perfect place to get away from it all for a long weekend.
Its long stretches of white sandy beach and the picturesque seaside towns make it both a relaxing and action packed visit, and there is plenty to keep both lone travellers, couples and families occupied.
A day at the beach
Image source: Manuel MartĂn @ Flickr
Believe it or not, Bournemouth is the place to be for beaches in the South of England. It is home to seven miles of golden sand and icy blue sea. Head down to the pier approach and try your hand at the aerial obstacle course or grab some fish and chips and wander along the pier, or if you are on a budget, pack a picnic. Looking out over the water, it will be easy to see why people fall in love with Bournemouth.
Visit the Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre
Image source: David Fisher @ Flickr
The Jurassic Coast in West Dorset spans 95 miles along the shore and already carries the title of World National Heritage Site. The Charmouth Heritage Coast Centre is a great place to take kids with its interactive games and fun activities. The whole family can try their hand at searching rock pools or fossil hunting. All completely free of charge.
Portsmouth Historic Dockyard
Image source: Mark Ellam @ Flickr
A visit to the South wouldn’t quite be the same without a trip to Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, the home of the HMS Navy. Visitors can take a waterbus to The Museum of Naval Firepower or to the Royal Marines Museum and take a look around world famous ships like the HMS Victory. If you are making a trip to the South, it’s not to be missed!
A pub crawl in the Cotswolds
Image source: Denni Schnapp @ Flickr
You can’t beat the South for cosy pubs, homemade comfort food and a pint of local ale to rival all others. For a pub crawl you won’t forget, take a day trip to the Cotswolds and spend a day wandering around the cute cobbled streets whilst admiring the ramshackle cottages along the roadsides. If you’re taking a trip to the coast by car, it’s worth stopping here for the night in a quaint bed and breakfast.
The Fuzzy Duck Armscote prides itself on being the most quintessentially English experience. From the magnificent Georgian fireplaces to the chequered black and white marble flooring, it’s the perfect pub to start your Cotswolds crawl. Try the venison pie to warm you up before you set up, it’s heart family food at its best. It’s dog friendly too, so you can even bring your four legged friend.
Featured image by Karen Roe, used under the Creative Commons license.
