Countryside
Both genteel and wild, there’s nothing quite like the English countryside for rural escapes with its patchwork hills, dramatic dales, ancient woodlands and winding country roads. All well and good, but what is there to do in England’s countryside exactly? Quite a lot, actually. Admire the grand interiors of a stately home before catching a play in the surrounding gardens, travel back in time with visits to ancient stone circles and crumbling castles, or step into a chocolate box of quaint villages and market towns and live like a local, trying farmhouse cheeses, cream teas and real ales along the way.
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Travel across Hampshire’s countryside on the Watercress Line
Witness the sights, sounds, smells and magic of steam travel from a bygone age and journey through Hampshire’s countryside on a restored steam train.
Location: Alresford, Hampshire
Get up close with the farm animals at Staunton Country Park
Come and meet friendly farm animals, have a rainforest experience in Victorian glasshouses or get lost in the maze.
Location: Havant, Hampshire
Discover wildlife and the history of Derwent Reservoir
Spot red squirrels, adders and bog plants at Derwent Reservoir and Pow Hill Country Park in the Durham Dales.
Location: Durham Dales
Pedal along 100 miles of off-road cycling tracks
Pedal the extensive, year-round network of cycling routes criss-crossing the woodland, heathland and quiet country roads of the New Forest.
Location: New Forest, Hampshire
Enjoy the great outdoors at Cannock Chase Forest
Cannock Chase is the UK’s smallest mainland Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. Here you can ride, hike, climb or just wander at your own pace.
Location: Rugeley , Staffordshire
Spy on endangered wildfowl at Rutland Water Nature Reserve
Visit Rutland Water's famous wildfowl sanctuary, covering a 1,000 acres of bird hides, mucky nature trails and interactive visitor centres.
Location: Rutland Water, Rutland
Go bananas for Trentham Monkey Forest
Pay a visit to the only place in Britain where you can walk among 140 Barbary macaques roaming free in 60 acres of forest.
Location: Trentham , Staffordshire
Venture to the tree tops at Go Ape!
Enjoy fun and adventure in the trees, taking on epic zip wires, Tarzan swings, rope ladders and a variety of obstacles.
Location: Wendover, Buckinghamshire
Fairytale Farm: a farm park with a difference
A sensory and learning wonderland, Fairytale Farm will delight the whole family.
Location: Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire
Family fun at Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens
The appeal of Cotswold Wildlife Park and Gardens goes way beyond its remarkable wildlife collection to breeding programmes and exuberant gardens.
Location: Burford, Oxfordshire
Ride on down to the Didcot Railway Centre
Enjoy a trip to Didcot Railway Centre, whose magnificent restored engines will take you steaming through most of the Oxfordshire countryside.
Location: Didcot, Oxfordshire
Plan a day of horse riding with Country Treks
Horse riding in the beautiful South Shropshire countryside is something quite special indeed and is great way to admire the scenery.
Location: Stottesdon, Shropshire
Discover The Lakes by Canoe
Canoe along the Derwentwater and discover something special about being close to the water.
Location: Keswick, Cumbria
Reach new heights on a Lake District mountain
Climb where only birds fly and explore a hidden underground world in Cumbria’s Lake District mountains, the ultimate place to broaden your horizons.
Location: Honister Pass, Cumbria
Take a wander around Brotherswater
The Lake District in Cumbria is famous for its stunning landscapes of lakes and fells and is the perfect place for family walks of all ages.
Location: Ambleside, Cumbria
Tuck into a home cooked meal at The Kirkstile Inn
Enjoy a delicious menu made from the best Cumbrian produce, washed down with a pint of freshly brewed ale at the Kirkstile Inn in the heart of the North Lake District.
Location: Loweswater, Cumbria
Create your own goodies at The Chocolate Factory Hawkshead
Take the family on a sweet adventure with a hands-on experience at the Lake District's own Chocolate Factory.
Location: Hawkshead, Cumbria
Get to grips with nature & play in the trees at Tree Runners
Get Dad out of the house, take the kids off the computer and climb, swing or hug a tree at Tree Runners.
Location: Test Valley, Hampshire
Try your hand at archery in Sherwood Forest
Get merry with your gang with an experience Robin Hood himself would have approved of, right in the heart of Nottingham’s famous Sherwood Forest.
Location: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
Discover hidden Ice Age art at Creswell Crags
Hidden in a beautiful limestone gorge you'll find some of Britain's only known Ice Age art.
Location: Creswell, Nottinghamshire
New Ways to see Sherwood Pines Forest
Discover Sherwood Pines Forest on two wheels, with Go Ape’s Segway tours through Robin Hood country.
Location: Edwinstowe, Nottinghamshire
