Things to do around Bournemouth/ Portsmouth/ Chichester

[NCTDN]

Last minute break booked with older teens - any suggestions for things to do and places to go? Thanks

Bournemouth has a climbing thing and zip wire on the pier.
Near there is Moors Valley with Go Ape.

Portsmouth has the historic dockyard.
Near Chichester is Fishbourne Roman Palace.

Where are you actually staying, that’s quite a distance between Bournemouth and Chichester

We're staying in Chichester but happy to drive around the area.

Crazy For You at the Festival Theatre has rave reviews www.cft.org.uk/whats-on/event/crazy-for-you

West Wittering is the best beach for miles - you have to book parking ahead of time on Just Park.

There’s stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and an awesome inflatable aqua park at Chichester Watersports
South Downs planetarium has some good shows.
Chichester Harbour water tours
Arundel Castle often has quite a lot on over the summer

@ElizabethinherGermanGarden thank you. Just booked parking for later in the week.

Weald and Downland museum is where they film the Repair Shop, and is interesting in good weather.
West Dean gardens are beautiful but might not be older teens’ cup of tea.
Arundel has a lido for outdoor swimming.

Weald and Downland, absolutely brilliant place. Pay the extra at Portsmouth historic dockyard for the Mary Rose. Visit Bosham to watch all the tourist cars get sunk parked outside the anchor when the tide comes in (Dave the ice cream man has an excellent YouTube channel for just this purpose.

Have a look for all the free Roman themed bits and bobs put on by the council.

Don’t eat at the Crown and anchor unless you have recently remortgaged your house.

If you tootle down to Selsey to what used to be Bunn leisure you can park for free in the car park, walk right past the fair (it’s crap) and down the the resort there is a new arcade there with some super games if your kids like that sort of thing.

I could go on forever

Great ideas thank you

Hope you have a great time. The sun's supposed to be back out by Friday.

We're only here till Friday!! I think that's the only rainy day gone now though

For Portsmouth:
Visit the historic dockyard and pay to see the new Mary Rose exhibition.
Eat at the Parade Tearooms on the Common.
Watch the hovercraft come in and go out again.
Visit the skatepark with a skateboard or roller skates!
Walk along the seafront but start at Eastney end (not the nudist area) where it is quieter.
Walk about Old Portsmouth and the up the round tower.
Head up the hill in the evening and take in the twinkling lights of the city.
Visit Albert Road for some quirky shops.
Walk around Baffins Pond and feed the ducks (seed can be purchased cheaply from the nearby ‘corner shop’)
Have a picnic on the common in the sunshine.
Gunwharf Quays has numerous outlet shops, cinema, bowling and bars and the Spinnaker Tower.

Which is the round tower in Portsmouth?

Ignore that I've found it.

The Round Tower is in Old Portsmouth, that's it's name. There is also a Square Tower, there is a small very sheltered beach between them right on the harbour entrance. They give great views over the harbour entrance and Old Portsmouth is nice to wander round. Yes to the other suggestions for Portsmouth however the Victorious Festival starts on Southsea Common on Friday so a lot of it might be inaccessible due to setting up.

If you take a drive along Portsdown Hill (James Callaghan Drive) there are picnic areas with great views, The Royal Armouries at Fort Nelson are up there too. If they like castles etc Portchester is good too.

If you've never been on a hovercraft I'd book that and hop over to the island . Great fun.

Any suggestions for decent places to eat that won’t break the bank near Chichester?

Chichester town has all the usual chain restaurants , prezzo, pizza express etc.
can highly recommend lime squeezy, or giggling squid if you like Thai, or the lemon grass. Masala city also won the award for the best Indian restaurant in the south coast!
The bosham inn is cheap and cheerful and Bosham is a lovely place to visit too!

www.billysonthebeach.co.uk

www.idealcollection.co.uk/venues/the-boathouse-cafe-chichester/

www.purchasesrestaurant.co.uk/

www.thefoxgoesfree.com/

www.crownandanchorchichester.com/

www.splashdownwaterparks.co.uk/poole/explore-the-park/

This is a brilliant place if that’s there thing - need to book ahead though.

If you go to West Wittering beach (really stunning aim for the dunes at East Head) you need to book car parking well ahead as it fills up unless you go by bus / cycle. I also try to aim for when the tide is out rather than when it is in as it becomes too crowded. East Wittering Beach / Brackelsham bay are less busy (not as nice though)

You can use Tesco vouchers at some of the Portsmouth attractions.

The Lobster Pot at the Felpham end of Bognor Beach is great & so is the Hotham Park Cafe in the middle of Hotham Park in Bognor. Driftwood Cafe is good in Emsworth. Crate Cafe is cool, it’s in the carpark near the big Co-op in Bosham.

There’s a big crazy golf outside Chichester on the way to Selsey.

You can buy crab/seafood at Potters in Selsey.

There are quite a few mobile food trucks, TacoBox is one, you can find where they’ll be on a particular day via Instagram.

If you are going to west wittering then please familiarise yourself with the tides and beach safety. It has a very strong and large tide and catches people out every year.

It's a great beach but not one to ignore the tides on!!

Second Chichester lake and water sports.

Brighton isn't too far away if you have teens that like shopping - they have swim really good alternative type shops too.

Portsmouth has the fair but has an event over bank holiday weekend (victorious) so I wouldn't try and visit those 3 days! (26-28th).

There's also some good museums around the Chichester area.