There are many things to do in and around Winchester, many of them free. There are many trails to follow to learn about the area which is alive with ancient history and famous people that have lived here (including Keats and Jane Austin, whose home you can visiit in Chawton). Explore the ruins of Wolvesly Castle, visit the military museums or wonder round the 1,000 year old cathedral. For rainy days, Winchester Science Centre and Planetarium, the Leisure Centre with a swimming pool or the local library are all within 15minutes. There are museums and galleries, stately homes nearby and open spaces and play parks. Winchester College, founded in 1382, is the oldest continuously running school in the country. It is a few minutes walk away and possible to look around on a guided tour.

Marwell Zoo is about 20minutes away, Paultons Park amusement park or the Watercress Line are all great for the kids, or visit the Bombay Sapphire distillery or the Three Choirs vineyard for a more grown-up way to spend the day!

Further afield, the naval dockyard in Portsmouth contains Nelson's Flag Ship HMS Victory (1759), King Henry VIII's flag ship the Mary Rose 1509) and HMS Warrior. The Harry Potter studio is just over an hour away - see the Hogwarts film sets and find out about the special effects. The New Forest National Park is 20 miles to the west where ponies and cattle roam freely - a great place for cycling (bike hire available), walking, horse riding and picnic-ing.

The ancient stone circles at Stonehenge (3100 BC) and Avebury (2600 BC) are within an hour's drive. You can reach the historic cities of Oxford, Salisbury, Chichester and Bath for a day trip. Longleat Safari Park and Legoland at Windsor can also be easily reached, as are several beaches at Bournemouth and along the south coast. The Jurassic Coast of Dorset for fossil hunting is 1.5 hours away.

Direct trains from Winchester Station to London Waterloo take only an hour and get you within walking distance of the London Eye, Houses of Parliament and Theatres and easy connections on the London Underground to all the main attractions.