The Watercress Line

Steam trains still run the old Alresford to Alton line, and if you're staying at any of the nearby caravan parks - The Spinney is practically on your doorstep - hopping aboard the Watercress Line makes for a proper day out. You get a proper heritage railway experience: vintage carriages, the smell of coal smoke, and honest-to-goodness steam engines doing what they were built for. The journey itself cuts through Hampshire countryside that hasn't changed much since the 1950s, which is rather the point.

It's genuinely worth the trip if you've got kids or you're simply a railway enthusiast. Adults who aren't fussed about trains might find it a bit slow-paced - literally - but the journey has character that modern rail just doesn't offer. Allow a good few hours: arrive early, take a ride, explore the station at Alresford itself. The line runs seasonally, so check ahead before you travel.

From The Spinney or Hampshire Hills (both walkable distance), you're ideally placed. If you're based further out at Holden Farm or Winchester Morn Hill, it's still only a short drive. The whole thing slots nicely into a wider Hampshire park holiday - you've got Winchester nearby for proper exploring, and the countryside around here is decent for walking between camp days. It's the sort of attraction that appeals more to families with younger kids or serious transport heritage types than to everyone, but when it clicks, it really does click.