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Winchester Cathedral, Winchester

Companionship careHampshire

Days out in Hampshire for an older parent

Ten places in Hampshire that make a good day out for an older parent, from Winchester Cathedral to Bolderwood. For each one: what its own access information confirms, what it costs, how long to allow, and the carers nearby who drive and could take them.

Researched by PrimeCarers from each place’s own website and access information  ·  Updated September 2026

Winchester Cathedral. Photo: http://www.wyrdlight.com Author: Antony McCallum, CC BY 3.0

Ten days out across ten towns

The best places to take an older parent in Hampshire

Three of them are free to visit or to walk around. Where a place does not publish its access, we say so.

Winchester Cathedral, Winchester

Photo: http://www.wyrdlight.com Author: Antony McCallum, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Cathedral · Winchester

Winchester Cathedral

Winchester Cathedral is one of the largest cathedrals in Europe, with a long Gothic nave, medieval wall paintings, the Winchester Bible and the grave of Jane Austen. It sits in a walled close in the centre of the city, with a café and shop nearby.

The cathedral is large, so a carer can plan a gentle look round the nave with a rest before deciding how much more to see.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Winchester

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Ampfield

Photo: Rob Young from United Kingdom, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Garden · Ampfield

Sir Harold Hillier Gardens

The Sir Harold Hillier Gardens near Romsey hold one of the largest collections of hardy trees and shrubs in the world, run by Hampshire County Council. There are borders, a winter garden, glasshouses and a gallery and restaurant at the visitor centre.

There is a large network of accessible paths with recommended routes, accessible toilets throughout the gardens and accessible cafés, and visitors can bring their own mobility scooters.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Ampfield

Mottisfont

Garden · Romsey

Mottisfont

Mottisfont is a National Trust house built on the remains of a medieval priory beside the River Test, known for its walled rose garden. The house has an art gallery and painted drawing room, and the riverside lawns have old plane trees.

There is Blue Badge parking and a drop-off point, accessible picnic tables, and toilets at the welcome centre, stables and kitchen garden.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Romsey

The Vyne, Sherborne St John

Photo: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Historic house · Sherborne St John

The Vyne

The Vyne is a Tudor house near Basingstoke, built for Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain, with a chapel of early stained glass and a long gallery. The National Trust estate has a lake, gardens and woodland walks.

There is limited Blue Badge parking, a drop-off point in front of the house, a movable ramp at the entrance, benches in the gardens and wheelchairs to reserve, though the tea-room toilets are some way from the car park.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Sherborne St John

Beaulieu, Beaulieu

Photo: Henrikrewes, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Beaulieu

Beaulieu

Beaulieu in the New Forest combines the National Motor Museum, Palace House, the ruins of Beaulieu Abbey and gardens, with a monorail and a replica bus running round the site. The motor museum holds around 250 vehicles, from early cars to land speed record holders.

Most of the site is accessible, and manual wheelchairs and electric scooters can be hired free of charge.

Time to allow
A full day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Wheelchairs to borrow

Their websiteAccess information

Carers who drive, based near Beaulieu

Portchester Castle, Portchester

Photo: Matthew Folley from UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Castle · Portchester

Portchester Castle

Portchester Castle stands inside the best preserved Roman fort walls in northern Europe, on the edge of Portsmouth Harbour. A Norman keep rises 100 feet inside the Roman walls, with views across the Solent from the top, and there is a Norman church in the grounds.

The grounds inside the Roman walls are open to walk round, so a parent can enjoy the walls and harbour views while the keep, with its stairs, is optional.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free outside, paid inside

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Portchester

Milestones Museum, Basingstoke

Photo: Colin Smith, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Basingstoke

Milestones Museum

Milestones is an indoor museum in Basingstoke with recreated streets from Hampshire's past, from Victorian shops to a 1940s sweet shop, a penny arcade and a working pub. There is a café and free parking.

The museum says it is fully accessible, and because it is all indoors on cobbled streets with a café and pub, it works well in any weather and brings back memories for many older visitors.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Paid entry

What their access information confirms

  • Café

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Basingstoke

Jane Austen's House, Alton

Photo: R ferroni2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Museum · Alton

Jane Austen's House

Jane Austen's House in the village of Chawton, near Alton, is the cottage where she lived for the last eight years of her life and wrote or revised all six of her novels. Visitors see her writing table, letters, jewellery and the cottage garden.

It is a small house, so a carer can plan a short visit and a sit-down in the garden or the village tea room opposite.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Paid entry

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Alton

Queen Elizabeth Country Park

Park · Petersfield

Queen Elizabeth Country Park

Queen Elizabeth Country Park covers 2,000 acres of woodland and chalk downland in the South Downs just south of Petersfield, including Butser Hill. There are waymarked trails, a visitor centre and a café.

The visitor centre, café and toilets are beside the car park, so a carer can plan a short woodland walk from there and keep the hill trails for fitter visitors.

Time to allow
Half a day
Cost
Free, parking charged

Access

Their website does not set out its access in detail, so ring ahead about parking, paths and toilets.

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Petersfield

Bolderwood, Lyndhurst

Photo: James Cracknell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nature reserve · Lyndhurst

Bolderwood

Bolderwood is a Forestry England site in the New Forest west of Lyndhurst, with a deer viewing platform, woodland walks and ancient trees. Fallow deer can often be seen in the fields near the platform.

There is accessible parking and toilets by the car park, and the deer viewing area is a short walk away, so it suits a parent who can only manage a little walking.

Time to allow
An hour or two
Cost
Free, parking charged

What their access information confirms

  • Blue Badge parking

Their website

Carers who drive, based near Lyndhurst

Regular groups and events in Hampshire

Something to go back to every week or every year, from our research into what older people enjoy doing in Hampshire.

  • Cooking & Baking · WinchesterWinchester Farmers' MarketA twice monthly farmers' market in the city centre selling Hampshire bread, meat, fish, fruit and preserves direct from producers, on the second and last Sunday, 9am to 2pm. A carer can help with the walking and carrying so choosing ingredients stays the enjoyable part.Details
  • Music · WinchesterLunchtime concerts at Winchester CathedralShort concerts by local musicians and school pupils in the Lady Chapel most Tuesdays, from 1.15pm to 1.50pm. The length suits someone who tires easily, and a carer can arrive early because seats are limited and given out first come first served.Details
  • Music · PetersfieldPetersfield Musical FestivalA long established annual festival of choral and orchestral concerts held at the Festival Hall, which was built for it and opened in 1935. A carer can book seats near an exit and arrange transport so an evening concert is still possible.Details
  • Dancing · AldershotTea dance at Princes HallAn informal afternoon of ballroom, Latin and sequence dancing with a break for tea and coffee at Aldershot's civic theatre. A carer can go along as a partner or simply sit with them at a table, since sitting out some numbers is normal here.Details
  • PaintingHampshire Open StudiosAn annual August art trail when artists across the county open their studios, homes and galleries to visitors free of charge. A carer can ring ahead to check for steps, then plan two or three nearby venues in one afternoon.Details
  • Sports · AltonWalking football at Alton FCA slower version of football for players over 50, run by Alton Football Club to keep people active whatever their fitness. A carer can provide the lift, stay for the session and help with kit and hydration.Details

Hobbies and carers who share them in Hampshire

At a glance

The ten places side by side

What each place’s own access information confirms. “Ask” means it does not say, not that it is missing.

PlaceTimeCostStep-freeToiletCafé
Winchester CathedralWinchesteran hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Sir Harold Hillier GardensAmpfieldhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
MottisfontRomseyhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
The VyneSherborne St Johnhalf a dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
BeaulieuBeaulieua full dayPaid entryAskAskAsk
Portchester CastlePortchesteran hour or twoFree outside, paid insideAskAskAsk
Milestones MuseumBasingstokehalf a dayPaid entryAskAskYes
Jane Austen's HouseAltonan hour or twoPaid entryAskAskAsk
Queen Elizabeth Country ParkPetersfieldhalf a dayFreeAskAskAsk
BolderwoodLyndhurstan hour or twoFreeAskAskAsk

Where the places are in Hampshire

The county’s boundary, numbered as on this page, with the main towns for reference.

AldershotRingwoodGosportAndoverTadleyEastleighLymingtonNew Alresford12345678910
  1. 1Winchester Cathedral, Winchester
  2. 2Sir Harold Hillier Gardens, Ampfield
  3. 3Mottisfont, Romsey
  4. 4The Vyne, Sherborne St John
  5. 5Beaulieu, Beaulieu
  6. 6Portchester Castle, Portchester
  7. 7Milestones Museum, Basingstoke
  8. 8Jane Austen's House, Alton
  9. 9Queen Elizabeth Country Park, Petersfield
  10. 10Bolderwood, Lyndhurst

What it costs

What a day out with a carer costs in Hampshire

Carers in Hampshire charge £19 to £22 an hour through PrimeCarers, typically £20, with our fee included. A four-hour outing is about £80 for the carer’s time. Entry, food and parking are extra, and travel costs are only payable if you agree them with the carer in advance, in writing. The cost of home care in Hampshire has the full figures.

Photographs on this page are from Wikimedia Commons, credited under each one.

Questions

Questions families ask about days out in Hampshire

Winchester Cathedral in Winchester, Sir Harold Hillier Gardens in Ampfield, Mottisfont in Romsey, The Vyne in Sherborne St John, Beaulieu in Beaulieu, Portchester Castle in Portchester, Milestones Museum in Basingstoke, Jane Austen's House in Alton, Queen Elizabeth Country Park in Petersfield and Bolderwood in Lyndhurst. Each has its own section on this page with what its access information confirms, the cost and how long to allow.

Portchester Castle (outside free, inside paid), Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Bolderwood. Parking is often charged even where entry is free.

Yes. A companion carer can drive your parent there, walk at their pace, help with the toilet and meals, and bring them home. 40 of the carers with a rate near Hampshire drive. Visits are booked by the hour, typically £20 an hour here with our fee included. Companionship care in Hampshire shows who is available.

Often. Many attractions let a carer or companion in free, or at a reduced price, with a disabled visitor, and some ask for proof such as a letter or a benefit award. It varies, so check each place’s access or prices page before you go.

Where the nearest carers live

From the profiles of the carers based within about 45 minutes of Hampshire

Where the nearest carers live. A carer close to home can manage a longer day out.

Companionship care in the counties around Hampshire

Days out in the areas around Hampshire

Companionship care by town in Hampshire

Each town page shows the carers who list it as home, with their rates and reviews.

Find a carer who could take them out in Hampshire

See carers near Hampshire who drive, with their photos, interests, rates and reviews. Talking to them is free and nothing is booked until you say so.

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