Calshot Activities Centre

Take to the beach at Lepe Country Park (15 minutes' drive), a nearby nature spot where woodland glades meet the Solent sea shore. After exploring these wild surrounds, check out the park's informative display boards to get a handle on the role this place played in the run-up to D-Day. Another local crowd-pleaser is the Beaulieu Estate (20 minutes), home to the National Motor Museum, a scenic estuary and the ruins of a 13th-century abbey. If cars are churches aren't your thing, worry not – you can also get to Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway in the same amount of time, plus ample shopping opportunities on offer in Southampton (35 minutes) and Portsmouth (an hour). After giving your credit card a workout at West Quay or Gunwharf’s outlets, give your bank balance a break and pursue simpler (and cheaper) pleasures at Furzey Gardens (30 minutes), Lymington marina (30 minutes) or Dark Lane Pond (10 minutes), a local angling spot. A low-budget couple of hours can also be had in Lyndhurst (35 minutes), where the New Forest Heritage Centre Museum is fully free to enter.