Southampton Common

Southampton Common covers some 326 acres it's no surprise that the common covers a wealth of terrain types, each offering their own indigenous mini beasts and plant types, including woodland, parkland, rough grassland, ponds and the lovely sticky wetlands. In terms of family entertainment on top of the generous adventure playground and seasonal stone paddling pool (which you can't miss, they're right next to the carpark) you can explore the way marked nature trails, plus there's a model yachting pond for those kids lucky enough to have their own vessel and a fishing lake available to those organised types with a license. They put out portable toilets during the high season, while at other times the nearest facilities are at The Hawthorns Urban Wildlife Centre (which used to be the tiny Southampton Zoo) which is actually well worth a visit of it's own accord!

To the western end the Hill Lane historic cemetery is an unexpectedly pleasant spot to explore with unusual plants and a pond with lots of birds about.