Southampton: An Ideal Base To Explore The New Forest

Southampton is the largest city in Hampshire and is located where the rivers Test, Itchen and Hamble meet. It is one of the UK's major ports and is just a short distance from the New Forest. 

If you are looking for a suitable place to stay and explore all that the county of Hampshire has to offer, then Southampton makes the ideal base. Along with exploring the New Forest there are plenty of other attractions in and around Southampton for you to enjoy. In this article we take a look at a few of the other sights one can enjoy when you visit Southampton with your family whether for a long weekend or a week's holiday.

A short distance from Southampton is Marwell Zoological Park which within its 100 acres there are more than two hundred different types of animals and birds for you to see.  The more exotic of these include rhinos, giraffes, tigers and penguins. The park raises money to help with the conservation of wildlife and its natural habitats throughout the world.

However if you are interested about learning more about the local fauna and flora then arrange to spend time at Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre. It is located on Southampton Common and is a place that the whole family will enjoy especially children. There are plenty of activities which they will find interesting and numerous trails that can be followed where you are able to observe the wildlife that lives in it. 

As well as its maritime traditions, Southampton also hosts the Hall of Aviation where you can discover more about the history of flying in this part of England. At one stage there were twenty six aircraft companies based in and around the city and it was here that the largest flying boat operation in the world was located. Southampton was where the legendary Spitfire aircraft was manufactured and this played a major strategic role during the Second World War. 

For a really fun and interesting day out you can take a trip out to the New Forest. There are lots of roads to drive along and you can stop at various spots to enjoy the landscape and the wildlife here. There is also Beaulieu, home to the world famous National Motor Museum, Beaulieu Abbey and Palace Home which for hundreds of years has been home of the Montagu family.

Make your next visit to Southampton a pleasant one and book your hotel in Southampton here.