Days out in the South East by train

[BornToFolk]

I want to do some days out with DS (3.5) during the day when DP is at work. However, I don't drive so am a bit limited as to where I can go.
Where can I get to by train? Ideally within 1 hour from Reading. I'm considering a trip into London to go to the Natural History Museum. Any other ideas?

You could get to Bournemouth in an hour and a half on the train, and have a day at the seaside!

Windsor? Very easy to get train to - Reading to Slough, Slough - Windsor; the Slough - Windsor

Didcot railway museum ??

Oooh, excellent ideas thanks! Might do all of them!

What's Bournemouth like? Sandy beach?

Yes, sandy beach at Bournemouth, and good facilities. You can get from Reading to Bournemouth without changing trains.

Excellent. Will wait for a sunny day and give that a go.

Newbury nice park with cafe in the park and the canal - wait a few weeks the new playpark will be finished. Bedwyn and walk up the canal to the crofton steam pump with a picnic. Hungerford lovely town to potter in again canal and pretty.
Train to Thatcham, walk along the canal to newbury and train home. Go across various types of bridges, seen the boats in the locks, have a picnic, see the wharfs, park at the end. Lots of wild life and fauna to see.

Meant to add - my DCs have always thoroughly enjoyed a good trip out on a bus. Almost doesn't matter about the destination, so long as they get to sit by the wind (ideally upstairs at the front) and watch the world go by.

One afternoon DH was struggling with ideas where to take them. They caught the bus to the train station, then the train to the larger station 2 stops up th eline (where there is more rail traffic). Then they caught the train home again. They had a whale of a time .

piprabbit, that's an excellent idea! DS loves to sit upstairs at the front but he doesn't get the chance all that often (as getting him downstairs in time again can be tricky...) He'd love to go all the way to the end of the line and back again!

If Bournemouth is direct on the train then does that mean Brockenhurst in the New Forest is? You could go for a nice walk, take a picnic, see the ponies and paddle in the stream.

Oxford? Easy train ride, lots of fun things to do (river boats, open top bus, museums very child-friendly), train plus bus gets you to Blenheim palace, which is easily a day out in itself.
Swindon and go to Steam (museum of the great western railway: my DS1's favourite wet weather outing)

In London you could get one of the river taxis or tour boats.

There's often a boat service leaving from Reading up to Beale Park and back? If it's hot that would be nice, the paddling pools should be open.

I've just looked at the Thames Rivercruise website and they're not running the Beale Park service this year :(

The train connection to Brockenhurst is generally very good with a lot of main line trains stopping, and the station is within walking distance of the open forest, the village and a very nice, child-friendly tea shop, the Brock and Bruin. Lots of nice places to eat out also, and a small Tesco if you want to pick up a picnic.

herecomesthesun

Would you reckon I could get a wheelchair around Brockenhurst ok(probably be lazy take power chair and it can handle bumps/offroad better kinder on my arms to .Dd would love it