Hartridge Springs

If it’s watersports you’re after, make haste for Lyme Bay (40 minutes’ drive), where boat trips and watersports of all sorts take place. For fossil hunting hubs, Lyme Regis (35 minutes) and Charmouth (35 minutes) are excellent bets. For those who’d like to take in the scenery from a bird's-eye view, there are hot air balloon tours or flying and gliding lessons both 25 minutes’ drive away. Go-karting takes place at Mansell Raceway (25 minutes) for those who’d like to tear up the tracks a little. Active glamper? Track down a running trail or cycling path – there are flat, hilly and moderate routes all around and a marathon route passing through nearby hills. Otherwise, there are tennis courts 10 minutes’ drive away and horse riding schools within half an hour of the site. For family days out, Wildwood Escot (25 minutes) has all sorts of attractions from a maze and soft play to a 40-metre zipwire and a Saxon village recreation. If you’re after a real historical site, Powderham Castle (45 minutes) is 600 years old and open for guided tours or family days exploring the grounds, the play area and the secret garden.