Glamping fun for adults and a fairy-tale world for kids with adventure on the doorstep
Tucked away in the trees of the New Forest, Silvertree House offers a magical getaway with luxe touches like a hot tub and pizza oven.
Perfect for families, it’s set in Shorefield holiday park, packed with activities and close to coast and forest adventures.
The kids will love this fairy-tale find says Fabulous Magazine art director Laura Cunningham.
THE PAD
Nestled among the trees, with three ensuite bedrooms sleeping six – including a master with a four-poster bed and freestanding bathtub – the turreted Silvertree House looks like it’s straight out of a fairy tale.
Luxe touches include smart TVs and a Nespresso machine, plus a hot tub and pizza oven on the deck outside.
Families will love its spot on Shorefield holiday park, with slime-making, pottery-painting, and sand-art classes on tap, as well as an indoor pool with sea scooter and aqua paddler sessions.
READ MORE TRAVEL IDEAS
Kids will also adore the arcade and mini disco. Grab tasty burgers, £13, and pizzas, £13.50, from The Beachcomber, where the robot waiter (yes, really!) will keep little ones entertained during dinner.
EXPLORE
Both coast and forest are close by. Hop on a small ferry boat, £5.50 for adults, £4 for kids, to check out nearby historic Hurst Castle – an artillery fortress built by Henry VIII – plus sea birds including oystercatchers.
The fortress itself is set to reopen next year (). Paultons Park, a 40-minute drive away, offers so much more than just Peppa Pig World, and is a must-visit for thrills aplenty, with over 70 rides to try.
Be sure to swing by the lemurs and penguins, too. Entry costs from £27 per person over 1m tall ().
Meanwhile, Moors Valley, half an hour away, is a haven for outdoor escapades, with a huge adventure playground, miniature steam train and Gruffalo trail ().
Kids as young as one can leap around Go Ape’s Nets Adventure, a fun trampoline park in the forest canopy complete with bouncy balls and tunnel slides. Entry costs £20 a person ().
Grab a local-ingredients-packed brekkie overlooking the village green at Melleford.
The New Forest mushrooms look like flowers before being whipped into a delicious feast on toast, £12 (Melleford.com).
Later, tuck into melt-in-your-mouth Hampshire lamb shoulder with dauphinoise potatoes, greens and rosemary jus, £26, in a pretty riverside setting at The Old Mill near Lymington ().
BOOK IT
Three-night stays in a treehouse at Shorefield Country Park cost from £89 per person per night, based on six people sharing ().