Wellowwood Camping

Surround yourself in colour and heady fragrance at the New Forest Lavender Gardens (five minutes’ drive), where there’s more than just purple shrubs, with vibrant sunflowers and multicoloured dahlias. You can also stock up on plants for your own garden here, and sample delicious home-baked cakes in the pretty tea room. There are rides and attractions for all ages at Paultons Park (15 minutes), from vertiginous drop towers to gentle boat rides for toddlers. One of the popular highlights of the park is Peppa Pig World, where kids can meet some of the characters from the beloved cartoon show. With views of the Isle of Wight, just across the Solent, Lepe Beach (35 minutes) is a good spot for swimming and watersports. Pine trees shade the hiking trails in Lepe Country Park, and the surrounding coastline is dotted with remains of D-Day training exercises and World War II memorials.