Southampton

Container ships glide past your breakfast table here - you're practically sitting in Southampton Water's front garden. This corner of Hampshire feels refreshingly removed from the city's industrial sprawl, despite being on its doorstep. The New Forest begins just behind you, while ahead stretches the Solent with its endless parade of ferries, yachts, and cargo vessels.

Exbury Gardens provides the area's star turn. These spectacular waterside gardens burst with rhododendrons and azaleas come spring, connected by the charming narrow-gauge railway that stops at both Exbury Central and Exbury North stations. The 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards memorial reminds you this coast has seen its share of history.

Water dominates everything. Royal Southampton Yacht Club sits perfectly positioned to watch the maritime traffic, while North Solent Nature Reserve offers quieter moments among salt marshes and mudflats. The coastline here is proper Hampshire - no dramatic cliffs, just gentle shores where the forest meets the sea.

Forest walks are everywhere. Cottage Lodge Plantation, Grassy Copse, and East Hill Copse provide lovely rambles without the New Forest's weekend crowds. Gang Warily offers something completely different if you fancy a game.

Getting here couldn't be easier - Southampton's just up the road, but you feel miles from urban life. The nearby parks like Lepe Beach Campsite and Solent Breezes Holiday Park position you perfectly for exploring both the waterfront and the forest. You can watch ships heading to Portsmouth one day, then lose yourself among ancient woodlands the next. It's Hampshire at its most varied.