Bovington Tank museum - other things to do in the area oh wise AIBU ones please.

[FoxRedGreySquirrel]

DH & DS have booked a few days away to visit Bovington tank museum, possibly going to head to the Jurassic coast, Monkey World maybe.

Know this isn’t AIBU but it’s a busy old place and full of knowledgeable MNetters who might know the area to add further suggestions of what they can both do, restaurant recommendations, other places to visit etc.

They’re going to stay in Bournemouth, close to the pier. Four days.

Any other places you’ve been to in the area for this short trip would be really appreciated.

I know AIBU posting here but it’s the summer holidays so hope you’ll have mercy!

The Dorset Heavy Horse Sanctuary is excellent, I took my family expecting to be there for a couple of hours, but ended up spending half a day listening to all of the talks.

We can spend 2-3 hours there but you can do it in 1-2 hours as your son is a teen.

Swanage is a proper seaside town. Fish and chips on the beach and a trip to the arcade!

Swanage has a Wimpy ! I think they just forgot to close it 😄

Near Monkey World is a holiday park where you can walk llamas. My teens enjoyed that. We spent two days at the Tank museum it was so good. Corfe Castle was interesting. But Dorset was really really busy and the car parks/roads/cafes couldn’t really cope and I’m not sure we would go back.

great water park near Corfe Castle - www.dorsetadventurepark.com
If they like go-karting - www.southcoastkarting.co.uk

There is quite a lot to do and tbh I wouldn’t venture much further than Purbeck (from B’mth I’d go via the chain ferry). There is fossilling at Kimmeridge but also in the other direction at Highcliffe in the New Forest. I’ve lots of things that I’ve prised from the mud beds there. The amount of rain we’ve had lately would make me a little wary of the cliffs, and there was an enormous landslide in Dorset last week.

If over Tyneham way they could also pop down to the Square and Compass in Worth Matravers because it’s like going back in time. Or fish and chips in Wareham has always been good.

I agree with suggestions of the New Forest, and they could hire bikes if they wanted, plenty of lovely cycling.

If weather is rubbish, BH2 in the centre of Bournemouth has a great indoor crazy golf course www.mrmulligan.com as well as loads of restaurants and an Odeon cinema.

If the timing works out, there is a test / training route alongside the road into Bovington
There are a couple of stopping points where you can pull in and watch if they are passing

For a bit more history & slightly macabre, relating to TE Lawrence, it was along the local roads that he had his fatal crash - but isn’t signposted as such

Hello!

Definitely the tank museum and beaulieu motor museum!

Lulworth cove / Durdle door is wonderful too!
Sandbanks is the best beach for a beach day, or take a walk from Hengitsbury head down to the mudeford spit and have lunch on the beach, there's a cafe / takeaway and bar which is so cool! Could even go crab fishing? Might seem a bit young but there's nothing more blissful than being by the seaside with not much to consume one's thoughts! They also do sea fishing trips from Christchurch harbour so that would be nice if they're into that.

New forest water park is epic for his age!
Some great biking trails around Moors Valley if he's active, you can rent bikes there

He's far to old and big for paultons & splashdown I reckon.

For rainy days - Southampton cinema du lux is the best one by far, there's an indoor mini golf arena in Bournemouth and an indoor driving range game place in Salisbury which would pass some time

Hope they have a wonderful break

Also If possible, Id definitely recommend the tank museum on the Thursday.

The a31 and a35 can get really clogged up with people towing their caravans west for the weekends on Fridays and Saturdays. A lot of people use it as a half way stop for their holidays too, so Thursday would likely give a more stress free outing and save the items closer to home or east from Bournemouth for the weekend.

Corfe Castle and Swanage, steam train in between.

Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

Bankes Arms and walk to Old Harry Rocks.

Pub at Kingston, views over Corfe Castle and coastal walk.

Dancing Ledge, Kimmeridge Bay.

Brownsea Island, Sandbanks beach.

Thanks so much everyone for your recent posts! Reading everything and they’re deliberating where else to go to.

@SamSaid really appreciate the advice for Fri/Sat traffic, thank you. They’re heading down early doors Wednesday morning and are hopefully going straight to the tank museum, will check in at the hotel afterwards.

Tyneham is open from 27th July onwards every day. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/lulworth-access-times/lulworth-range-walks-and-tyneham-village-access-times-2023

Did anyone mention the Etches Collection - the fossil museum at Kimmeridge?
There are a lot of fossils at Kimmeridge Bay but it's hard to find decent ones. On the beach at Swanage the best place for fossils is the North end of the bay. You really need to go down to Charmouth/Chideock to easily find fossils on the beach.
If they fancy swimming naked there's a nudist beach at Studland 😁
Please tell them to ask about the tides if they are going fossil hunting!

Also if they are thinking of going to Beaulieu, there's also a motorbike museum in that general direction https://sammymiller.co.uk/ and also Hurst Castle which has layer upon layer of military history from Henry VIII up to WW2

@imbolic thank you! I read the weekend info about Tyneham and didn’t look further! That’s really good to know!

Nudist beach 😆🤣 I imagine teen DS would howl at this!

I’ve read about the tides but good to know this really important information. Thank you.

I only expected to spend a couple of hours at the tank museum. But stayed all day. So don't plan too much!

@FoxRedGreySquirrel
A few years ago found ourselves walking along the nudist stretch of beach by accident (honest!) and there was a guy coming towards us completely naked walking his dog - I’ve never seen a dog look so embarrassed 😅

Im fairly local and have a 16 year old DS but didn’t know about some of these places so I’ve been taking notes too. I think your DH and DS are going to have a busy few days!

@Inastatus 🤣 poor dog! 😆

My kids call them the “rudey nudies”. They generally stay in the sand dunes to sunbathe and only stroll out to swim. My kids also like to play commandos in the dunes so I’m not sure it’s that peaceful for them but there you go.

@illiterato - 😅

Dorset mums Web site blog has all the events that happen that week . Some weird wonderful happen in Dorset