Best Nature and Wildlife Areas in Sandbanks

"Bottle-feed kid goats and calves, meet the pigs, donkeys and ponies, cuddle baby rabbits, chicks or maybe even a piglet!. PLUS lots more friendly animals to see. Lots of farmyard buildings to explore and fabulous indoor and outdoor play areas including the trampoline barn, a soft play area and The Farmer's Straw Den."

"It has all the farm animals you’d expect from a working farm that you can feed and help look after. They have great indoor activities as well for raining days like a soft play and smaller handheld animals."

"Longdown Activity Farm, Deerleap Ln, Ashurst, Southampton, Hampshire, SO40 7EH. Things to do at Longdown Activity Farm review. Longdown Activity Farm is a family attraction near Ashurst in Hampshire."

"Location: Approximately 3 miles west of Lyndhurst at the northern end of the Bolderwood Ornamental Drive.Remarks: About the most popular of the free New Forest attractions. A very pleasant area with graded walks through the giant Redwood trees. Viewing platforms overlook the fenced areas where a number of fallow deer are kept."

"A viewing area deep in the new Forest, where these incredible creatures are known to gather. For opening dates and further information, please visit the attraction's website."

"The New Forest Reptile Centre just 10 minutes away from Brockenhurst is a great place to take the kids. The centre is home to a wonderful array of reptiles and amphibians including rare sand lizards, frogs, toads and Britain’s only venomous snake, the adder. You can see the animals up close in their outdoors enclosures where they feel naturally at home."

"Portland's white limestone has been quarried for centuries and has been used in some of the world's finest buildings, such as the British Museum and St Paul's Cathedral. Tout Quarry's disused workings now house more than 50 sculptures that have been carved into the rock in situ, resulting in a fascinating combination of the raw material, the detritus of the quarrying process and the beauty of chiselled works.Tout Quarry is signed off the main road, just south of Fortuneswell."

"The lakes of this former collection of gravel pits set in 159 hectares of woods and grassland near Ringwood are absolutely stunning. Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve are a series of walks and trails around the lakes alongside 8km of rolled gravel paths and six bird hides open for the public to use. The list of birds is too long to mention with around 500 species."

"The Blue Pool is Dorset’s mythic hideaway, having spent decades mystifying its visitors with a dazzling spectrum of colour – shifting from bright blue to aqua green due to the diffracting light on the water’s surface. It’s also home to a much-loved tearoom, serving cream teas from 10am. Get in early to beat the crowds and enjoy your breakfast amongst the old-worldy pine trees."

"On Poole Harbour’s Arne Peninsula there’s a vast nature reserve, spreading across almost 1,400 acres. RSPB Arne has a stunning variety of habitats, including sandy beaches, scrub, wet woodland, ancient oak woodland, mudflats, reedbed, farmland and dry and wet lowland heath. There’s a “welcome hut”, where you can find out about the RSPB’s conservation activity in the park, and this also has a shop and cafe."

"Address: Barrack Road, The Nothe, Weymouth, Dorset, DT4 8UF, England, UK Tel: +44 (0)1305 766 626 The Nothe Gardens are located around the historic Victorian Nothe Fort and lead towards this imposing structure. Overlooking the harbours of both Portland and Weymouth, the Nothe Gardens feature lawned areas suitable for sports, ball games and impromptu picnics. The area is known for is high concentrations of wildlife and in recent years, grey squirrels have become a common sight around the gardens."

"Nothe Gardens is a public garden, located in Weymouth, Dorset, England. Positioned on the Nothe Peninsula overlooking both Weymouth and Portland harbours, the informal gardens are often acclaimed to be the most beautiful the borough has to offer. Sightseeing • Garden • Relax in park • Park"

"Quieter and less exposed than Sandbanks, Hamworthy Park is on Poole Harbour, not far west of the ferry terminal. The park has a narrow beach and a small promenade, traced by beach huts and benches. The harbour’s gentle waters are just right for families with smaller children, while this spot is also used by windsurfers and kitesurfers to begin their adventures."

"Boscombe Beach can be found just a little way down the coast from central Bournemouth, before you hit Southbourne. It’s another beautiful, Blue Flag sandy beach (suitable for toddlers) that’s particularly popular with families. RNLI lifeguards are on duty between May and September, and there are plenty of beach activities to get involved in like volleyball and table tennis if you’re so inclined."

"There was a time when I used to go to the Shah of Persia with my friends every Wednesday. Not only that on that day they had the quiz night but also their curries for all two for one. As a very competitive team, we did win a few times the quiz."

"Frankie and Benny’s do a bottomless breakfast from Friday to Sunday. “Enjoy free refills on your favourite breakfast dish when you visit us before noon. So will it be the warm and fluffy pancakes, mouth-watering eggs benedict or the classic British fry up?"

"With views across the water from the sun terrace, you could almost believe you’re on holiday. The breakfast menu is extensive offering smaller appetite plates such as beans on toast, tea cakes and more. If you’re hungry don’t worry there is plenty available."

"Whether you’re a local or tourist, you’re enjoying retirement or still pondering your first step on the career ladder, when asked to list your favourite things about Bournemouth the beach…"