Forest Edge - Fun Days Out

Paultons Park is a family theme park on the edge of the New Forest National Park in Hampshire, set in 140 acres of parkland. It has rollercoasters, thrill rides, family rides, indoor and outdoor play areas and water splash parks, along with a collection of birds and animals.

Peppa Pig World is the headline area, with Peppa-themed rides and a large indoor playzone. The park also has themed areas including Critter Creek, Lost Kingdom, Tornado Springs and Valgard, a Viking-themed land. The park describes itself as a family venue, and most of its rides are designed for children and families. It will suit families with young children, and anyone who likes a day of rides alongside the animals and gardens.

Tip: Tickets are for a set date and some days sell out, so book your visit date in advance.

Monkey World is an ape and monkey rescue centre set in 65 acres near Wool in Dorset. It was founded in 1987 and takes in primates rescued from the illegal pet trade, laboratories and abuse, rehabilitating them into natural living groups.

You can see the largest group of chimpanzees outside Africa, split across four social groups, plus Bornean and Sumatran orangutans. The park also has Europe's only orangutan crèche, five species of gibbon and a wide range of monkeys and lemurs, including capuchins, marmosets, spider monkeys and slow lorises. The lemurs are fed at their window each day around midday. There's also a gift shop, and the centre's work is shown in the TV series Monkey Life.

Tip: Book online in advance, as tickets are cheaper than at the gate.

The New Forest Wildlife Park sits on the edge of the New Forest near Ashurst and Lyndhurst. It specialises in animals that are or once were native to Britain, plus otters and owls from around the world. The otters are the stars, including the world's largest collection of giant otters, and you can also see wolves, a lynx and Bodie, Hampshire's only wolverine.

It's easy to get around, with daily keeper talks and a walk-through wallaby enclosure that lets you get close to the animals. There are adventure playgrounds for children, a tearoom and a gift shop. Reviewers describe it as small but full of things to do, so it suits families with young animal fans and anyone with an interest in conservation. Keeper experiences are available if you want to get closer to the animals.

Tip: Parking on site is free but first come, first served, so arrive early on busy days. Put the full address into your sat nav rather than just the postcode.

Marwell Zoo is a 140-acre zoo at Colden Common, near Winchester, run by the conservation charity Marwell Wildlife. It is home to hundreds of animals, including giraffes, leopards, meerkats and penguins, with red pandas, snow leopards and a walkthrough lemur exhibit among the other residents.

Alongside the animals there are seven adventure play areas, cafés and a gift shop, and animal feeds are on offer, subject to availability. The zoo sits in the grounds of Grade I listed Marwell Hall, which dates from around 1320. Families with children are the natural fit, though anyone who likes wildlife and a long walk outdoors will find plenty to fill the day. Café Graze serves hot food, sandwiches and sweet treats, and has vegan, vegetarian and gluten free options.

Tip: Book tickets online for the correct day before you arrive, and allow about 4 hours on a first visit.

Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire, a World Heritage Site and one of Britain's best-known landmarks. The outer ring of huge sarsen stones, topped with lintels, was raised in the third millennium BC. It sits within a landscape dense with burial mounds and other Neolithic and Bronze Age monuments.

You can walk up to the Stone Circle and take photos, then step into the reconstructed Neolithic houses. Children can have a go at finding out what it takes to move a sarsen stone. The exhibition explains how the builders lived and worked, and includes a Neolithic man brought to life face to face. There's a café for a snack, and plenty of wider landscape to explore on foot.

History fans, families and anyone ticking off an icon will get a lot from it.

Tip: Pre-book your ticket before you travel.

Salisbury Cathedral is a leading example of Early English Gothic design. It was built in just 38 years from 1220, which gives it an unusually consistent style. Its 404-foot spire is the tallest in England, and the Cathedral Close around it is the largest in Britain.

Inside, you can see one of the oldest working clocks in the world and one of the four surviving original copies of Magna Carta, kept in the Chapter House. Behind-the-scenes options include the Stonemasonry Works Yard, a Tower Tour to the foot of the spire and the historic Library. There are also free tours and demonstrations, including stained glass window tours and the medieval clock demonstration.

It is a living church, so you may hear choristers rehearsing or the organ being played. There is a restaurant and a gift shop on site.

Tip: Allow plenty of time to park if you drive. The nearest public car parks, Lush House (SP2 7TD) and Old George Mall (SP1 2PH), are about a five-minute walk away.

The Russell-Cotes sits on top of Bournemouth's East Cliff, next to the Royal Bath Hotel. This Grade II* listed building was originally called East Cliff Hall. Merton Russell-Cotes, then the hotel's owner, had it built in the Art Nouveau style as a birthday present for his wife Annie, and it later passed to the town as a museum.

Inside, the house and its annexe display items Sir Merton collected on his foreign travels, especially to Japan, alongside paintings from his personal art collection. One room is the Sir Henry Irving Museum. Irving was a friend of the family and had stayed in that room, which was devoted to his memory after he died. It's a good choice for anyone who likes history, art and a look inside a grand seaside home.

Corfe Castle is a ruined fortress built by William the Conqueror in the 11th century, standing on a steep hill above the village on the Isle of Purbeck. It was one of the earliest English castles built partly in stone, and it was added to over the 12th and 13th centuries. It is also known for the Civil War, when Lady Mary Bankes led its defence through two sieges before it was slighted on Parliament's orders in 1645.

You can wander the ruined walls and towers, then stop at the 18th-century tea-room and garden, which has close-up views of the castle, or browse the shop near the entrance. The site is family friendly, with a picnic area, and dogs are allowed on short leads at all times. Expect steep slopes, steps and uneven paths throughout.

Tip: The car park fills up quickly in busy periods, so consider an alternative car park or arrive in the afternoon, when it tends to be quieter.