Rainy day ideas from Back of Beyond

We know that the weather hasn’t been playing ball recently but don’t let that stop you enjoying your camping break to Back of Beyond. We’ve asked around the team about some of our favourite places to escape the rain near to our park or within an hour or so’s drive.

Kingston Lacy

This majestic stately home is located near Wimborne, Dorset and is owned by the National Trust. Within Kingston Lacy house you can expect to find one of the UK’s finest private collections of paintings and a collection of Egyptian artefacts brought back by the intrepid traveller William John Bankes.

The house is also surrounded by gardens and extensive parkland so if the weather clears, be sure to explore.

Brewery tours

If you love your tipples and fancy seeing how some of our local brews are made then book onto a brewery tour. Hall & Woodhouse Brewery in Blandford Forum runs regular brewery tours. Learn how the Badger beers are made and discover the legendary stories behind some of the characterful beers. Pre-booking is strongly advised.

Some of you may have sampled the Conker gins here at Monty’s Bar. Discover how the gins are distilled on one of the Conker Distillery Tours, in their distillery home in Southbourne, Bournemouth. Tours run Fridays, 2.30pm-4pm and cost £25 per person.

Russell Coates Museum, Bournemouth

Set on the East Cliff, a short walk from Bournemouth Pier, Russell Coates Art Gallery & Museum offers a decadent décor and an insight into the lives of Merton and Annie Russell-Coates. Look out for temporary art exhibitions and make a pit stop in the museum’s café.

The Tank Museum, Bovington

Whether you are a tank enthusiast or not, you’ll be sure to find something of interest at the extensive Tank Museum. Learn about the history of these armoured vehicles within the 9 exhibition spaces. The Tank Museum is open every day except 24-26 December.

Salisbury Cathedral

With the tallest spire in the UK, standing at an impressive 123 metres, Salisbury Cathedral oozes in history. Within the Chapter House, you’ll find the best-preserved Magna Carta. Guides are on hand to share the history with you and the Refectory serves up tasty lunches and cakes.

Close by, you’ll also find The Salisbury Museum. Plus, you can catch regular buses to Salisbury from Ringwood.

Portsmouth

The city of Portsmouth offers a lot of history. Take a tour of Portsmouth Historic Dockyard with HMS Warrior, The Mary Rose and see other modern-day naval vessels. Within a short walk of the dockyard, there’s Gunwharf Quays outlet shopping centre with big names such as Lacoste, Crew Clothing Company and plenty of places to eat. Also at Gunwharf, is the Spinnaker Tower. From the viewing deck look out over Portsmouth and across the Solent towards the Isle of Wight.

SeaCity Museum, Southampton

Set in Southampton’s Cultural Quarter, SeaCity Museum explores the nautical history of Southampton with a large exhibition space dedicated to those who lost their lives on the fated liner, Titanic. Combine a visit with the nearby John Hansard Gallery, Southampton City Art Gallery or do a spot of shopping in Westquay Shopping Centre.

Longleat

With its famous safari park, Longleat offers a lot to do and although is a little further to travel (around 1 hour and 20 minutes), several of our guests from Back of Beyond do make the journey.

Spot lions, wolves and the infamous monkeys on the drive through the safari park, hop aboard the boats to feed sealions and see the gorilla colony and head into Longleat House, a masterpiece of Elizabethan architecture.

Try some of the nearby escape rooms

Love a challenge? Then why not see if you can solve the riddles and clues needed to negotiate your way out of one of the escape rooms nearby? Typically, you have one hour to make your way out.

In Bournemouth, there are several escape rooms including Marvo Mysteries and The Lockey. You will also find escape rooms in Salisbury and Southampton.

This is just a taster of what you can do when it rains at Back of Beyond. If you are looking for other ideas, take a look in our Information kiosk or ask us for any other recommendations.