7 Family Days Out in the South Downs this Easter

April 10, 2017

With so many attractions and ways to explore and discover the National Park, there’s no reason to be short on ideas for family days out this Easter.

To help you along, we’ve put together a list of 7 fantastic days out in the South Downs, suitable for families of all ages. Make sure to share your special moments with us on Twitter and Instagram!

Hunt for Easter Eggs

What better way to enjoy Easter than with a basket full of Easter eggs? There are lots of trails across the National Park throughout the holidays, we’ve put together a small list below:

National Trust Cadbury Egg Hunt
Dates: 8 – 23 April, varying by location
Cost: £3 per trail (Normal National Trust admission fee also applies)
Location: Various National Trust Properties, check the Cadbury Egg Hunt website to find one near you

Easter Trails at Amberley Museum
Dates: 12 – 17 April
Cost: Normal museum admission charges apply, see the Amberley Museum website for more details
Location: Amberley Museum, Station Road, Amberley, Near Arundel, West Sussex, BN18 9LT

Easter Trail at West Dean Gardens
Dates: 13 – 17 April
Cost: Adult from £8.50. Children under 16 enjoy free gardens entry but will need a £4 Easter ticket to participate in the activities. Children must be accompanied by an adult. See the West Dean Gardens website for more information.
Location: West Dean Gardens, West Dean, Nr Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 0RX

Easter Bunny Event at Hollycombe Working Steam Museum
Dates: 16 – 17 April
Cost: Adult £16; senior £14; child £12. Family tickets available. Pay once and return again for a year, for free on most open days. See the Hollycombe website for more information.
Location: Hollycombe Working Steam Museum, Iron Hill, Liphook, Hampshire, GU30 7LP

Parham Easter Family Fun
Dates: 16 – 17 April
Cost: See Parham website for prices
Location: Parham House & Gardens, Parham Park, Pulborough, RH20 4HR

Hunt for Geocaches

If you’re too grown up for Easater Eggs or want something a little healthier, why not try your hand at geocaching? Geocaching is a real-world treasure hunt that combines being outdoors, exercise and technology.

We’ve also developed the South Downs Geotour which is a great way of exploring some of the hidden places in the National Park you may otherwise miss. You can work towards earning a souvenir GeoCoin by eating local, staying local and travelling by bus, train or bike.

Take a trip to the zoo

If you’d like to see animals you’re not likely to find in the South Downs, why not take a trip to one of the two award-winning zoos in the National Park?

Marwell Zoo in Winchester and Drusillas Park in Alfriston both have a large variety of animals to observe and learn about. They are also committed to providing the highest standard of welfare for all their animals and do excellent conservation work both locally and overseas.

Travel Back in Time

As you would expect from the National park that inspired H G Wells to write the Time Machine, we’re lucky enough to have lots of ways to travel back in time in the National Park.

Weald & Downland Living Museum

Discover what life would have been like for people in the South East of England up to 950 years ago at the Weald & Downland Living Museum. Over 50 historic buildings, rescued from various sites across the South East, provide the setting for an interactive way to discover England’s rural history.

Easter activities vary daily and include Easter cooking in the Tudor kitchen, egg painting, an Easter trail, bonnet making and a traditional Bonnet Parade on Easter Monday.

Bignor Roman Villa

Enjoy the stunning remains of a Roman home with world-class mosaic floors in a spectacular Downland setting.

Learn why the Roman owners chose to develop such a magnificent settlement at Bignor in the 3rd Century AD and how they acquired wealth from its location.

More information, including opening times and prices, is available on the

Go for a Walk

With over 3,300km of footpaths, bridleways and byways in total across the National Park, there certainly isn’t a shortage of places to walk off your Easter calories (or perhaps work up an appetite for even more!)

Below you can find our Miles Without Stiles leaflets, designed for those with limited mobility, wheelchairs and pushchairs.

We have also published a large number of other walking leaflets, with varying difficulty levels and lengths, available on our Walking page.

Get on your Bike

Cycling is another fantastic way to combine exercise with seeing more of the National Park. We have 1,200km of car-free bridleways miles of leafy country lanes and old railway trails including the Downs Link and Centurions Way.

Find a full list of our cycling leaflets on our Cycling page.

Learn how to survive in the wilderness

The Sustainability Centre in East Meon is running two Children’s Bushcraft courses over the Easter Holidays.

Learn to create fire, make shelter, learn to identify, harvest, and make food in the woods and make shelters. The skills learnt will be more in-depth than a typical camp craft experience and build on skills you may already have in a fun, accessible way!

Dates: 12 April & 18 April
Times: 10:30 – 3:00pm
Cost: £18.50

Booking is required. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Ratio of adults to children 1:2 maximum.