Kingsdown Live Cam

Where can you make a break for rolling hills and rivers, cathedral cities and naval towns, eerie pre-historic plains and picture postcard villages – or such contrasting character as Jane Austen Country and the Jurassic Coast – all within one lovely and convenient corner of England?

Only in the Beautiful South, where an ever-changing coast and countryside present refreshing holiday choices of distinction, interest and charm.

The perfect place for your short break is here. Look for your change of scene amongst Chiltern beechwoods or Oxfordshire’s Cotswolds, in the Valley of the River Thames or Hampshire’s breezy downs and secluded leafy lanes. Wiltshire will woo you with Salisbury’s magnificent cathedral and maze of medieval streets, with Marlborough and Devizes – deliciously mellow market towns – and timeless landscapes or mesmerising standing stones at Stonehenge, Avebury and other mystic avenues and circles raised by Neolithic man.

The coast counters with naval Portsmouth and Gosport, at the very heart of our maritime history; historic Chichester, Blue Flag beaches and family fun in Havant & Hayling Island or Purbeck’s stunning landscapes where dinosaurs once walked and left footprints to prove it. Beckoning across the water, the Isle of Wight and Jersey add unique holiday worlds of their own.

Choose where you will – you’ll find interest and relaxation all the year round. Follow up further information offered in the guide and take a lead from attractions whose detail and already given here. Just go prepared to enjoy something completely different – perhaps puttering along restful canals and rivers, riding on the footplate of a steam engine in Didcot, touring the tower of Salisbury cathedral, browsing in beautiful gardens or even taking command of a naval warship called to Action Stations on Portsmouth’s popular waterfront.

Complete the treat with that special place to stay. Accommodation featured here includes some superb hotels in outstanding locations: Old Thorns Hotel, Golf and Country Club at Liphook overlooks its own championship golf course in a 400-acre estate; the Haven hotel at Sandbanks, near Poole, enjoys a breathtaking close-up of Poole Harbour and Brownsea Island while the finest countryside of the New Forest is well served by the Bartley Lodge, Forest Lodge, Beaulieu and Moor Hill House Hotels.

Buckinghamshire’s Chiltern Hills and the Oxfordshire Cotswolds have made these rural retreats firm favourites for short breaks. Much admired for their beech woods, magical web of footpaths and tucked away valley town, the Chilterns provide a pretty backdrop to other popular parts of the country – the prosperous Vale of Aylesbury with its woods, windmills and stately homes: the River Thames, at it broad best in Marlow, or the tranquil valley of Buckingham’s River Ouse. Oxfordshire’s Cotswolds boast a string of golden limestone old-world towns, now included on an exciting Antiques Trail. With stylish shops at every turn, the nation’s passion for this pastime is more than satisfied throughout the Beautiful South!

Nestled between Oxford City and the Gloucester Cotswolds – visit an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty offering year round breath taking scenery and countryside that so inspired William Morris. Little changed today, it continues to inspire countless local artists, poets and craftworkers. Stroll, meander or pedal through historic market towns and gentle rolling countryside on waymarked walks, circular rides, or perhaps potter around the route of the Antiques Trail.

Throughout the length of Southern England, rivers and their valleys weave rich threads of beauty and history linking rich landscapes, long-established waterside towns and a wealth of gardens and other attractions which have sprung up along their route. Go with the flow enjoying walking, rowing and the many other pleasures which they provide both on and off the water. The river Thames has played it’s part in the history of every passing age and its tranquillity and timelessness has been captured by artists, writers and poets. Today the riverside is a buzzing centre of activity, providing a constant source of stimulation for the senses and a wealth of opportunities or exploring the area by water or for sitting riverside watching the world drift by. Destinations featured here will lure you out to explore the Thames from Lechlade to Marlow, the idyllic stretches of the river which inspired ‘The Wind in the Willows’ and the ‘Three Men in a Boat’; Farncombe and the River Wey will take you to the heart of the stunning view points and dramatic ridges of the lovely Surrey Hills.

Welcome to Wiltshire! Highlights here include medieval Salisbury, centred around the cathedral and its close, and market towns such as Malborough, Wootton Bassett or Malmesbury, burial place of Athelstan first king of all England. Villages are little gems too: old-world Lacock or Castle Combe, pretty Mere or Amesbury, sing in a loop of the River Avon. Sweeping downs and eerie plains reveal world-famous sites: prehistoric stone circles and burial chambers and eight white horses, carved into the chalky flanks of the downs. The Kennet & Avon Canal carves its way across the Country – a delightful source of walking, boating, pubs and tearooms and spectacular engineering feats such as the 29 locks at Cean Hill, Devizes.

The Kennet & Avon Canal, which is one of the country’s most beautiful waterways, winds through the heart of rural Wiltshire and offers the visitor a wide range of holiday entertainment and is perfect for barge holidays, walking, cycling and fishing. The area around Avebury is steeped in prehistory, myth and legend and is tops for crop-circle spotting. Visit the medieval market town of Devizes or the town of Marlborough, where legend claims that Merlin, the magician of King Arthur is buried.

Hampshire’s holiday haunts are best known for the New Forest, where ponies and wild deer graze beneath canopies of oaks and beech in landscapes which have changed little since medieval times. Such rural idylls are a hallmark of this lovely county, for Hampshire’s countryside specialises in peaceful or picturesque scenes. This is where you’ll discover the chalk streams that feed rivers like the Test and the Itchen, whose waters are alive with flickering trout; where you can visit Gilbert White’s famous garden or Jane Austen’s home in the village which inspired many of her best-loved novels – or where you can stretch your legs on the undulating slopes which were the setting for ‘Watership Down’.

This is an astonishingly beautiful park of Hampshire and only an hour from London and the southern ports. It embraces the very best of traditional English countryside. Explore an unspoilt and varied landscape where dramatic escarpments contrast with hidden leafy lanes and where picturesque conservation villages are characterised by thatched cottages, mellow brick houses and ancient churches. Hampshire’s countryside is an ideal location for short breaks. Visit award winning attractions. Try cycling or walking. Fish in the internationally renowned chalk streams or simply relax and escape.

Brimming with arts and culture and steeped in history, the cathedral city of Chichester is situated between two ‘Area’s of Outstanding Natural Beauty’ – the gorgeous rolling hills of the South Downs and the seclusion and tranquillity of Chichester Harbour. The nearby coastline is endowed with glorious stretches of beaches to the South. The area boasts four historic houses; a Roman Palace, gardens, museums and galleries all set either with in a historic setting or in beautiful landscape. There are plenty of events and festivities throughout the year, including Chichester Festival Theatre performances, the Festival of Speed, horse racing at Glorious Goodwood and the Chichester Festivities as well as many others.

There has never been a better time to enjoy a short break in Portsmouth and visit what is fast becoming Britain’s premier waterfront destination. The new waterfront developments include Gunwharf Quays, the ultimate leisure, shopping and entertainment destination, offering designer outlet shopping in a waterside environment. Nearby, a visit to the historic dockyard to view the historic ships, museums and Action Stations offers a unique experience. Whilst the resort district of Southsea is a great place to relax. Put together they offer a varied coastal city break the once taken you’ll soon wish to repeat.

Gosport, on the western side of Portsmouth Harbour, has been linked with the sea for centuries. A short break in Gosport offers a range of accommodation, unique and fascinating museums and attractions, a modern marina and "Millennium" promenade plus cosmopolitan waterfront wine bars and bistros. Start the day with a bang at Explosion!, the Museum of Naval Firepower – telling the story of gunpowder to modern missiles. Explore the mysteries of the deep at the Royal Navy Submarine Museum, the country’s only museum dedicated to the history of submarines. Enjoy spectacular harbour views and relax aboard the Gosport Ferry.