Things to do with kids in Fordingbridge

Things to do with kids in Fordingbridge

1. Buy

   All The Cool Stuff

   Children big and small love this toy store, selling figurines, playsets, games and other collectibles. Wide range of brands from Lego and Playmobil to Star Wars, Transformers, My Little Pony and Sylvanian Families. Even better, the owner knows his Stormtroopers from his Decepticons.

   Mon-Fri 10AM-5PM, Sat 9:30AM-5PM

2. See

   Breamore House

   An Elizabethan (late 16th century) manor house with very fine period furniture, paintings, and tapestries. Each of the main rooms is seemingly frozen in a particular era, from the Tudor great hall and bedrooms, to the Stuart dining room and Regency-era drawing rooms. The house was built on the site of an Augustinian monastery, a victim of the Reformation, and has been in the hands of the Hulse family for nine generations. The ground floor is accessible to wheelchair users.

   Apr and Oct: Tue, Sun noon-5:30PM; May-Sep: Tue-Thu Sun noon-5:30PM; and open bank holidays throughout the year·Adult £9.50, senior £8, child (5-15 years) £6, under 5 free

3. Do

   Insight Activities

   archery & axe throwing

   Email via online contact form (page bottom). Supervised fun with mediaeval weapons in the woods! Guided sessions for absolute beginners in longbow archery, crossbow shooting and axe throwing. The tuition is personable and humorous with an emphasis on safety and proper technique. Combine a lesson with an activity: in 'Siege the Castle', groups design their own giant projectile and fire at a model castle, while 'Combat Tag' combines a number of archery team games - back-to-back duelling, capture the flag and something called 'death match'. The archery range is open to all ages, while the other activities aren't suitable for children under 12.

   Booking essential·Archery only (2 hr): £25 pp; archery, crossbow and axe throwing (2 hr 30 min): £35 pp; siege the castle (2 hr): £30 pp; combat tag (2 hr): £30 pp

4. Do

   Pumpkin Pastures

   Pick your own pumpkins: choose from 30 varieties (and not just the bright orange ones), explore recipes, or carve your own jack-o-lantern. Family-friendly games, seasonal crafts, and hot and cold refreshments are all part of the fun.

   Mid-Oct until Halloween daily 9:30AM-4PM. Early bonfire night fireworks display, Sat 30 Oct 6PM·Free entry and parking. Pumpkins from £1 each. Fireworks £5 pp

5. Do

   Regal Cinema

   Classy Art Deco cinema, built in 1933 and lovingly restored in 2016. The façade is nice, but the lobby and the bar are something else, so make sure you allow some time to enjoy them before or after the film. The intimate 30-seat auditorium makes each screening - of film, live theatre or opera - special.

   Box office Mon-Fri 8:30AM-1:30PM, 2:30PM-5PM·Ticket prices can vary, but most are £10.70 for adults and £7.70 for children and students

6. Do

   Riverside Park

   Fordingbridge Park or Recreation Ground

   Despite not knowing what to call itself, this has pretty much everything you'd want from a small town park: a decent-sized playground, sports pitches, a snack kiosk that makes its own ice lollies, and even a shingle beach where you can paddle or swim in the languid waters of the Avon.

   Daily 8AM-7PM

7. See

   Rockbourne Roman Villa

   This luxurious courtyard villa was built during the first five centuries of the common era, and subsequently vanished beneath the earth before being rediscovered by a farmer's dog in 1942. The few visible remains include an excavated portion of hypocaust and some wonderfully-preserved mosaic. The adjacent museum houses other Roman objects discovered at the villa and in the local area: tools, pottery, a hoard of coins, a mysterious skeleton, and two 3rd-century milestones with Latin inscription. Kids can make their own mosaic and dress up as a centurion. On-site café and picnic area.

   Adult £4.50, concession £3.50, child (5-15 years) £2.25, under 5 free

8. Eat

   The George

   18th-century riverside gastropub serving Hampshire favourites: steak and chips, chalk stream trout, lobster linguine. Save room for the local cheese board. The very sad selection of draught beers is made up for by extensive wine and cocktail lists. On sunny days, the outdoor terrace has a prime view of the Great Bridge.

   Wed-Sat noon-3PM, 5:30-10PM; Sun noon-6PM·Mains £12-26; children's menu mains £9

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Fordingbridge (CC BY-SA 4.0).