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Woodland & Forest in Southampton

Woodland round Southampton means heading out a bit rather than staying put, and the two options give you a proper choice of direction. Micheldever Woods, out at Winchester, is ancient beech woodland with Bronze Age burial mounds to hunt out and roe deer if you go quietly, and there is a toilet block and picnic tables if you want to make a morning of it. Head the other way to Roydon Woods Nature Reserve near Lymington, where the paths are unmarked and you wander through ancient woodland with grazing animals about and bluebells turning the ground blue in spring. Both are free, which helps, and both let you make your own route rather than follow a trail, so they suit families happy to potter rather than march to a destination. Micheldever has toilets and picnic spots for a longer stay, and is dog friendly too. Roydon is the better bet for spring colour. Neither has set paths, so a buggy is not the easiest option, but older children who like spotting things, mounds, deer, animals, will have plenty to look for.

✓ 2 places✦ 2 free to visit