Mother’s Day 2024 in Hampshire

Chawton House was owned by Jane Austen’s brother Edward, and known to her as ‘the Great House’. Jane lived in a cottage on his estate and would stroll up to ‘dawdle away’ many an hour in the grand Elizabethan manor and its picturesque gardens.

West Green House Gardens - is the perfect place to visit for all the family through every season!

The iconic Spinnaker Tower stands at a soaring 170 metres tall, offering awe-inspiring 23 mile views over Portsmouth, the Solent, the South Downs and the Isle of Wight. From delicious High Teas to mind-boggling virtual reality, nerve-jangling abseils to magical weddings, there are outstanding experiences for everyone, all set against the most breath-taking of backdrops.

More than 100 years in the making, Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway is a spectacular collection of landscaped woodland, herbaceous, contemporary and formal gardens, in a unique riverside location. Exbury also boasts a narrow-gauge steam railway that travels through the gardens, plus a play area, fantastic restaurant and much more!

The magnificent Sir Harold Hillier Gardens is world famous for its arboretum and gardens – set over 180 acres of rolling Hampshire countryside; this garden is stunning whatever the season.

Ancient trees, babbling brooks and rolling lawns frame Mottisfont's 18th-century house with a medieval priory at its heart. There’s space to run, jump and play, and always something for families to do, with activity trails in school holidays and a special family exhibition every summer.

Located in Selborne, a stunning corner of the South Downs National Park, Gilbert White’s 17th century home is now a museum open to visitors. Museum highlights include, the original manuscript of ‘The Natural History of Selborne’, White’s 18th century floral embroidered bed covers and White’s taxidermy hawfinch.

Best known for its fine garden, Hinton Ampner is an elegant country house with an outstanding collection of furniture, paintings and objets d'art.

The Vyne is a warm red-bricked Tudor mansion built in the 16th century for Lord Sandys, Henry VIII's Lord Chamberlain, which later passed into the hands of the Chute family, who cared for the house and estate for over 300 years. It was remodelled to its present configuration in the mid-17th century.

The largest Theatre in the south, The Mayflower offers spectacular touring musicals - many direct from the West End - plus opera, ballet and comedy.

Gunwharf Quays is the UK’s only waterfront outlet shopping destination. Located on Portsmouth’s historic waterfront, you can shop at over 90 famous brands including Coach, North Face, The White Company, Hugo Boss and Nike; grab a bite to eat in a choice of over 30 restaurants, bars and cafes; and watch the boats go by as you take in the stunning marina location.

Good shopping is guaranteed at Festival Place, a vibrant 1.1m sq ft shopping centre in the centre of Basingstoke, just off the M3. The ideal destination for easy, everyday shopping, Festival Place is also somewhere to visit for special occasions and fun family days out.

The Tall Trees is a easy 1.5 mile walk created by the Forestry Commission, at Blackwater in the heart of the New Forest National Park. Walk amongst the huge conifer trees which were planted in 1859.

The South Downs way is situated in Hampshire’s second National Park the South Downs. The route begins in Winchester and stretches 100 miles to Eastbourne. Along the route are unspoilt views of countryside, small hamlet villages and the English channel. The South Downs Way is a hilly but rewarding route for walkers and mountain bikers. Lonely Planet has even included the South Downs Way in it’s 1000 Ultimate Adventures book.

A 4.5-mile circular walk in the heart of Jane Austen country. Start at Jane Austen's House in Chawton and follow in her footsteps across fields and through the village of Farringdon. Jane was inspired by this beautiful countryside to write and revise all her novels.

The Solent Way is one of the most picturesque walks in Hampshire, taking in views of the Hampshire countryside, Solent and Isle of Wight. The route is 60 miles and is broken into 8 sections and stretches from Milford on Sea to Emsworth which is at the top of Chichester Harbour. The Solent Way is great to walk all year round, from the summer where you can see the sunset on the Solent or in the colder months when the seas are even more lively.

The Test Way is a 44-mile long distance walking route that will take you from its dramatic start, high on the chalk downs at Inkpen, to follow much of the course of the River Test to Eling where its tidal waters flow into Southampton Water.  Without doubt, the Test is one of Hampshire’s finest chalk streams, world famous for its superb trout fishing.