Madjeston Animal Park

You'll find yourself surrounded by animals at Madjeston Animal Park, just outside Shaftesbury in Dorset. This is proper hands-on stuff - the sort of place where you can actually get close to the creatures rather than gawping through fencing from fifty yards away. The park keeps a decent selection of animals, and there's enough to occupy families for a good couple of hours without it feeling rushed or overdone.

It works brilliantly if you've got kids who need to burn off energy and see something living beyond a mobile phone screen. The animals are generally well looked after, and the layout means you're not trudging endless loops. Adults often find it relaxing too - there's something calming about being around animals in a low-pressure setting. Worth noting that opening hours and admission costs aren't readily available online, so ring ahead before you make the trip.

If you're basing yourself at one of the nearby holiday parks - Gold Hill Glamping (4.4 miles away) or Sunnyhill Campsite (5.7 miles) - Madjeston fits in nicely as a half-day outing. It pairs well with exploring Shaftesbury itself, which has proper character and some steep streets worth wandering. The animal park won't take up your whole week, but as part of a broader Dorset trip, it's a solid addition rather than something to plan around.