Splashdown Waterpark

The water slides and splash pools at Splashdown Waterpark near Wimborne are exactly what you need on one of those rare scorching English summer days. It's the sort of place families with restless kids gravitate towards - all flume rides, lazy rivers, and the inevitable queues for the big slides. You'll spend a good few hours here if you're serious about it, though the novelty does wear off faster than you'd expect once everyone's been down the same slide three times.

It works brilliantly as a half-day break from caravan life if you're staying at Haven Rockley Park or South Lytchett Manor - both are within easy striking distance - but don't go expecting anything particularly sophisticated. This is straightforward, functional fun: towels, sunscreen, the works. Whether it's free or paid, open in winter or just summer months, I'd check ahead because the details are genuinely vague online.

Younger kids (under eight) will have a whale of a time in the shallower sections. Teenagers often find it a bit tame unless there's a proper monster flume to tackle. Adults generally spend the day reading poolside, occasionally supervising. It's worth the detour from nearby Wimborne if the weather's cooperating and you've got a caravan holiday to fill, but don't expect it to be the highlight of your Dorset trip. Pack a picnic if they allow it - the on-site food tends toward the pricey and mediocre.