Adventures in the South of England You Simply Can’t Beat

Beautiful landscapes, breathtaking coastlines, and incredible historical sites all await you in the South of England. Whether you’re a thrill-seeker, explorer, or simply want to discover something new, there’s plenty to satisfy your wanderlust in this little corner of the British Isles. 

You can party like a Roman in Bath, abseil down Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower, and follow in the footsteps of ancient civilizations on the awe-inspiring Salisbury Plain. 

With so many great places to choose from, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite adventures in the South of England you simply can’t beat!

Bathe like a Roman

Bath is hands down one of the most beautifully historic cities in England. It has been home to everyone from the Romans to renowned baking queen Mary Berry throughout the centuries! 

But one of the main attractions has to be the Roman Baths. With 2,000 years’ worth of history within their walls and hidden beneath their foundations, you can still see the appeal of why the Ancient Roman Empire made this glorious city a stronghold. 

Want a slice of the action for yourself? Book in a dip at the Thermae Bath Spa, which is fed by the same natural spring waters that our ancestors bathed in all those years ago. 

Fossil hunting along the Jurassic Coast

Mary Anning is the unsung hero of fossil discovery. Her remarkable life was dominated by a series of firsts that have continued to shape our understanding of prehistoric life to this day. 

While many of her finds are now found in museums up and down the country, it’s her beloved hometown of Lyme Regis in Dorset that remains a special place in the heart of paleontologists, big adventurers little explorers alike.

Church Beach and Charmouth Beach are not only Anning’s old stomping grounds, but they are home to millions of years’ worth of prehistoric treasures waiting to be scooped up by you! Before you get too excited, check out all the rules and advice regarding fossil hunting before you get too carried away with your chisel and hammer! 

While numerous ammonites and belemnites are hidden in plain view, recent cliff slides often reveal some unexpected surprises. You never know; you could find the next undiscovered giant marine reptile! 

Play the hero

Exciting Escapes is home to larger-than-life stories that place you in the heart of all the action. For sixty minutes, you and your team can go head to head in a big Brother meets Crystal Maze scenario, unmask the villain, diffuse a WWII bomb or even uncover dark government secrets. 

The catch? You have to beat the room to make your escape by solving a series of puzzles, riddles and challenges. 

Whether you head down to their escape room in Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke or Croydon, you can expect great things from this live experience like no other! 

Abseil down a 100m tower

Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower is not only a remarkable feat in modern architecture, but it offers one of the most spectacular views across the city to the Isle of Wight, which you simply won’t find anywhere else. 

But one of the highlights has to be the 100m abseil days Spinnaker offers. Whether you want to challenge yourself, raise money for a worthwhile charity, or both, this is the ultimate abseiling experience. 

Once you’re done, head up to The Clouds and chow down on a sumptuous High Tea before stretching your legs and walking along the ‘Sky Walk’ to the stunning ‘Sky Garden!”

Experience Solstice like the Neolithic

Stonehenge is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is renowned for its bewildering architecture, archaeology, and ancient history. But it is a pure atmosphere and fascinating stories attached to the stones that have kept people’s intrigue throughout millennia. 

Winter and Summer’s solstice is a rare treat to experience at this iconic site. As the sun plays with the shadows and adds to the timelessness of this 5,000-year-old wonder, you can reconnect with the past and look to the future all at once. 

Head over to the exhibition center and discover how the Neolithic people lived, and find out more about the tools they used and how we know to believe the site was constructed. 

Further down the road at Avebury, there stands the largest prehistoric stone circle in the world. With its own fascinating history that Stonehenge often overshadows, Avebury is thought to have been built as a public community space for rituals and rites to be performed. This UNESCO World Heritage Site is not to be missed, especially for those who want to retrace their cultural heritage or find out more about the ancient world. 

Get in touch with your wild side

New Forest National Park is a nature lover’s paradise. With its vast heathland, mesmerizing forests, and native ponies, it’s easy to see why. 

Created by William the Conqueror in 1079 to pursue the ‘beasts of the chase,’ the once preyed upon animals of the park still roam free and undisturbed to this day, including red, roe, and fallow deer and the occasional wild pig! You can still see how the events of history have shaped the landscape and cultural heritage of this abundant park. 

Now you can hike, cycle or ride by horseback across the expanse of this beautiful land and revel in the glorious landscape and rare wildlife that live in its boundaries. 

See the legendary Spitfire up close

Nestled in the heart of Southampton, you will find the impressive Solent Sky Museum. In a celebration of the city’s aviation history, you will discover how the area became the most important area in the country, if not the world, for aircraft experimentation and development. But it is the legendary Spitfire that draws the crowds. 

With its fascinating interactive displays and 18 complete airframes, including a Supermarine Spitfire and Supermarine S6a, 4 cockpit sections and the boardable Sandringham Flying Boat, this is an aviation enthusiast’s dream. 

Visitors will be blown away by the stock footage of legendary races and artifacts from the romantic age of aviation all under one roof! 

The South of England is a beautiful place, bursting with character and a whole heap of adventures waiting to be discovered. Where will you go first?