Brownsea Island
Brownsea Island is dramatically located in Poole Harbour, offering spectacular views across to Studland, Old Harry Rocks and the Purbeck Hills. It offers a peaceful, natural setting – ideal for walks, picnics and exploring. The island is home to nationally and internationally important wildlife, including rare red squirrels. Natural habitats include pinewoods, heathland, shoreline and lagoon – where breeding and overwintering birds collect.
The island has a fascinating and varied history, including use as a daffodil farm, pottery works and a decoy to protect Poole in the Second World War. Robert Baden-Powell held the first experimental scout camp here in 1907 and the island is now known worldwide as the birthplace of Scouting and Guiding.
Beaulieu
The National Motor Museum, few car museums in the world can match the unique collection of the world renowned National Motor Museum at Beaulieu. Managed by the National Motor Museum Trust, Beaulieu is also the home of the world famous Beaulieu International Autojumble and Automart. Whether your interest is as an individual, a motor enthusiast, or as a member of an interest group or educational party, when it comes to cars, motorbikes, commercial vehicles, motoring eccentricities and memorabilia, the National Motor Museum is firmly in the driving seat.
With the Collection now comprising some 250 vehicles - from some of the earliest examples of motoring to legendary World Record Breakers like Bluebird and Golden Arrow - you are sure to find something to fascinate you.
Bournemouth Eye
Tethered Balloon Flights every day from the beautiful Lower Gardens in central Bournemouth. The Bournemouth Eye, Bournemouth's Highest attraction, is a spherical helium-filled balloon with an enclosed gondola that carries 25-30 passengers. Tethered by a high tensile steel cable, the balloon lifts to a height of 500 feet while providing a panoramic view of the English Channel and surrounding area (over 20 miles) from the highest public observation point in Bournemouth.
Castleman Trailway
This 16-mile trailway is suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders alike. It follows the route of the old Dorchester to Southampton railway, which was built in 1847 by Charles Castleman. The twisting stretch of track became known as the 'Castleman Corkscrew'. The railway was closed in the 1960s by Dr. Beeching and the land sold. Public access has since been granted along the resurfaced path, which now takes visitors through some of Dorset's most scenic countryside including heathland, mature pine forest and the River Stour valley.
Compton Acres
Compton Acres invites you to escape to a different world. The new Compton Acres has more features ever than before. As well as its beautiful ten acres of gardens, there are exciting shopping opportunities, restaurants, a delicatessen, regular events and, with further all-weather facilities planned for the near future.
Compton Acres in Poole is fast becoming one of the most visited and prestigious attractions on the South Coast. Mr Simpson, a margarine entrepreneur purchased the property as a seaside residence in 1920 and achieved his dream of building a garden with a difference. His concept was to create a series of gardens to embody the vision of his worldwide travels and interest in horticulture. He appointed Mr. Middleton as the head gardener and the construction and maintenance of the gardens began. The gardens were to cost in the region of £220,000 - roughly equivalent to £10 million today. The gardens at this stage were not open to the public to view.
Corfe Castle
The village is constructed almost completely from the local grey Purbeck limestone and comprises two main streets, East Street and West Street, linked at their north end at the Square. Around the square, with its cross commemorating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee of 1897, are clustered the small collection of shops, the post office, church and pubs. The main route through the village is East Street which forms part of the A351 main road taking traffic to Wareham in the north and Swanage in the south. Separating the two streets is an area of common land called "the Halves".
Corfe Castle railway station lies to the east of East Street, adjacent to the village centre. Originally the only intermediate station on the London and South Western Railway's branch line from Wareham to Swanage, the station is now a stop on the Swanage Railway, a steam locomotive operated heritage railway. The railway links the tourist centres of Corfe Castle and Swanage with each other, and with a Park and Ride site at Norden station just to the north of Corfe Castle.
Cranbourne Manor
The extensive farmland and woodland on the Estate are managed using traditional farming techniques and produce some of the country’s best rare breed speciality meats. At the centre of the Estate is the village of Cranborne which boasts a true village shop, Cranborne Stores, selling a comprehensive range of the Estate speciality meats and a mouth-watering selection of delicatessen items such as English cheeses, home-made pâtés, pies and terrines alongside the usual newspapers and sundry items. The Stores also offers a mail order service taking the taste of Cranborne meats anywhere in the UK mainland.
Adjacent to the village is Cranborne Manor set in beautiful gardens. The Manor is the Dorset home of Viscount Cranborne, the eldest son of the 7th Marquess of Salisbury. The gardens are open once a week in the Spring and Summer for the public to enjoy and the Cranborne Manor Garden Centre, specialising in old fashioned roses, clematis and all the best plants for a country garden, is open every day. Mary’s Tearoom offers Garden Centre visitors the chance to taste delicious home-made food including the speciality meats produced on the Estate.
Farmer Palmers
Our original dairy farm was diversified to a visitor attraction in 1998 and specially designed for a great day out for families with children 8 years and under. We are owned & run by the brother & sister team Phillip & Sandra Palmer. We understand that family time is precious in this busy world and that our visitor attraction can encourage parents/grandparents to watch their children explore, learn and gain confidence in the fresh air and in a relaxed, fun atmosphere. It is so rewarding to see happy children's faces having fun.
Knowledgeable staff oversee these events and ensure the animals are well cared for in a clean environment. Our animals live within Defra's Five Freedoms of animal welfare. This has been recognised by Enjoy England, Poole & Bournemouth Tourism departments as well as the Tourist boards. The daily cow milking demonstration is educational, informative and entertaining, not to be missed!
There are many indoor & outdoor adventure facilities for small children and their family.
Great Dorset Steam Fair
Ten miles of electric cable, 150 tonnes of coal, 1000 barrels of beer! These are huge statistics by anybody's standards. Statistics that Michael Oliver and his pioneering colleagues in the Dorset Steam & Historical Vehicle Club surely could never have imagined would apply to their own 'little show'. But that was 39 years ago when the show was in its formative days. How things have moved on in the time since!
Martin Oliver (now Managing Director) was a small boy in short trousers then, but he can remember certain things about the early shows, with his father very much at the helm. He too can not have imagined then that one day he would preside over the biggest steam and vintage show in the World. But gradually Michael has taken more of a back seat and now it is Martin that is charged with the task of leading the show through the early part of the 21st century. Regulars at the Great Dorset Steam Fair will know why it is sometimes still called 'Stourpaine', but how many of the many thousands of exhibitors and visitors really know how it all began?
Greenslade Pleaseure Boats
We are a family who has run our boat business from Poole Quay since 1970. We offer trips from Poole to Brownsea Island and Harbour Cruises in the beautiful harbour of Poole. Special trips are made up the river Frome to Wareham. These are just some of the trips which we offer there are many more. Our friendly staff look forward to making your visit to Poole Harbour an enjoyable and memorable one. So please come along to Poole Quay and visit us and come out on the boats for trips the whole family will enjoy.
Gus Gorillas
Gus Gorilla's Jungle playground is open seven days a week - 10am to 6pm. There are over 60 free car parking spaces right outside the door! Gus Gorilla's is not just great fun for kids - there's plenty for mum's and dad's too! We are now fully licensed, so you can enjoy a drink, a cappaccino, a snack or a full meal next door after your kids have worn themselves out enjoying non-stop fun action in our safe, supervised area.
Those of you who have previously been to Poole Park will already know that after a session in Gus Gorilla's Jungle Playground there is still plenty to enjoy in the beautiful & relaxed atmosphere of Poole Park.
Sit and feed the ducks, stroll along the lakeside, enjoy the other amenities...
Get away from the hustle & bustle of normal life.
SPLAT
Ideally situated just 10 mins from Bournemouth and 30 mins from Southampton, SPLAT is an Activity Centre not to be missed.Limitless acres of woods and fields provide the ideal country backdrop to get away from it all; for groups, and families! Serious Play, Leisure And Teambuilding (SPLAT) covers a multitude of activities but what sets us apart is ourus apart is our imaginative approach imaginative approach.
Kingston Lacey House
Kingston Lacy is a country house and estate near Wimborne Minster, Dorset, England, now owned by the National Trust. From the 17th to the late 20th centuries it was the family seat of the Bankes family, who had previously resided nearby at Corfe Castle until its destruction in the English Civil War after its incumbent owners, Sir John Bankes and Dame Mary joined the side of Charles I. They owned some 8,000 acres (32 km²) of the surrounding Dorset countryside and coastline.
Monkey World
Set amongst the woodland of Dorset lays 65 acres of sanctuary for over 150 primates. Monkey World was set up in 1987 by Jim and Alison Cronin to provide abused Spanish beach chimps with a permanent, stable home. Today Monkey World works in conjunction with foreign governments from all over the world to stop the illegal smuggling of apes out of Africa and Asia. At the park visitors can see more than 150 primates of 15 different species.
There are currently 56 chimpanzees at Monkey World, which makes it the largest group outside Africa. Monkey World has rescued chimps from Spain, Greece, France, England, Austria, The Netherlands, Israel, Cyprus, Dubai and Taiwan where they were being used and/or abused in laboratories, as exotic pets, as photographer's props, or as circus animals. Their exact histories vary, but the majority of them share part of the same story. Born in Africa chimps are taken from their family groups as youngsters. Poaching expeditions for bush meat and the capture of young animals results in the slaughter of adults as they try and defend their babies and extended family. It is estimated that the removal of one infant will result in the death of up to ten other chimpanzees. The young animals are smuggled out of Africa and then sold illegally abroad.
National Tank Museum
The Bovington Tank Museum is the foremost collection of armoured vehicles in the United Kingdom. With almost 300 vehicles on exhibition from 26 countries it is the most wide-ranging collection of tanks and armoured vehicles in the world, and includes one of two working examples of a German Tiger I tank in the world and a British World War I Mark I — the world's oldest surviving combat tank.
The collection is held at the Bovington Army camp in the county of Dorset in South West England, about 1 mile (2 km) north of the town of Wool and 12 miles (20 km) west of the major port of Poole – grid reference SY829883. The camp trains all sections of the British Army in tracked vehicle driving as well as repairing and maintaining the vehicles in its workshops. The museum is situated within the camp.
Oceanarium
Explore the secrets of the ocean in an adventure that will take you to some of the world's most amazing waters. The Oceanarium Bournemouth brings you face to face with marine life from the furthest reaches of the globe - more than just an aquarium, a vibrant experience through the oasis of water. The Oceanarium is a fully interactive experience with touch screen games, feeding demonstrations and talks, plasma screen documentaries, walk-through underwater tunnel and exhibits to help you discover more about this fascinating underwater world.
Paultons Park
Paultons Family Theme Park in Hampshire, on the edge of the New Forest, offers a great family day out with over 50 different attractions and rides included in the price. The variety of things to see and do includes thrilling and gentle rides, dinosaurs, museums, animated shows, play areas, exotic birds and other fun activities for all ages in garden setting. When you are planning your visit to Paultons, click on any of the buttons here to find information which will help you to make the most of your visit! All enquiries for Paultons Breaks please call 0870 844 4034
Royal Signals Museum
The Royal Corps of Signals Museum is located in Blandford Camp in the beautiful Dorset countryside and only a stone's throw from the scenic and interesting Georgian Town of Blandford Forum.It is the national museum of Army communications and the exhibits and displays show the part that communications have played in the many wars and campaigns of the last 150 years. The Museum collection is regarded as being of National importance and the excellent Archives are recognised by the Public Record Office.
Swanage Steam Railway
Welcome to Dorset's premier standard gauge preserved steam railway. The award-winning Swanage Railway currently operates on the six miles of track between Swanage and Norden, through the beautiful Isle of Purbeck, passing the magnificent ruins of Corfe Castle. Trains operate on the Swanage Railway every weekend and Bank Holiday from mid-February to the end of the year, and every day of the week from April to October.
Teddy Bear Museum
The Dorset Teddy Bear Museum is Dorchester's unmissable family museum, with Edward Bear and his family of people-sized bears, in Teddy Bear House. From the earliest antique teddy bears to today's TV favourites they are all waiting to greet you in this enchanting Teddy Bear Museum. Be sure to visit the museum's charming period shop stocking top brands: Steiff Teddy Bear, Robin Rive, Merrythought, Dean's, Cotswold Co, Gund & many more - probably the best in the South.
Upton Country Park
The park is owned and managed by Poole Borough Council. It covers approximately 100 acres of gardens, parkland and woodland on the shores of Poole Harbour. The park was built by Poole Merchants and passed through many families, including the Llewellins, until it was opened to the public in 1976. Comments - A pleasant walk through a variety of formal and more natural features. An excellent opportunity to watch the bird life along the harbour, although the traffic can be heard from the road in some areas. Contact - Wardens Office - 01202 672625
Walford Mill Craft Centre
A converted mill ¼ mile north of Wimborne in a quiet riverside setting. At the Centre are a Crafts Council selected shop and exhibition gallery, featuring the best in contemporary British design including textiles, ceramics, glass and metalwork. There are also silk weaving, stained glass, jewellery and machine embroidery workshops and a wide variety of art and craft courses and events.
Wimbourne Model Town
Built well over 50 years ago, the magnificent 1/10th scale models continue to surprise and amaze visitors from all over the world with their superb quality and realism.
Re-creating the historic market town of Wimborne Minster exactly as it was during the 1950s, you can get really close up and even touch the buildings, checking out every minute detail of over 100 shop window displays. Peer into the Butchers, the Ironmongers, the Bakery and the Fishmongers, not forgetting the stunning interior of the Minster Church. As you begin to explore in more detail, your mind will turn to wondering just how the group of skilled and dedicated model makers achieved such amazing 'life like' results – working as they did over five decades ago in a rural England still recovering from the war years.
