Published by Footprint is Dorset, The New Forest and Isle of Wight with Kids by Jane Anderson who, after 15 years of travelling the world, has come to realise that if you get it right, there’s no better place to holiday with kids than the UK.

Her new guide includes dinosaurs and theme parks, mysterious islands, red squirrels and historic castles. There are ancient forests and stunning beaches, steam trains and the only artificial surf reef in the northern hemisphere. Not to mention the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Jurassic Coast thrown in for good measure.

‘Luckily I had two crucial research assistants to assist me – my daughter Scarlett then 5 and son Finlay, a mere 2 years old. There would be cries of “Can we live in a hotel” when times were good as we enjoyed the higgledy-piggeldy charm of Moonfleet Manor in Dorset, and the squeally delights of living in a Dr Livingston style tent at the New Forest’s Country House Hideout.

‘Never once did they complain as we spent a soggy week in a yurt on the Isle of Wight and I forced them to try garlic ice cream from the Garlic Farm and go on yet another fossil hunt. It wasn’t until we reached Corfe Castle that I noticed Scarlett mimicking me with her notepad in hand at the Model Village, making studious notes and scaled drawings – a Guild member in the making no doubt.”

Special features include how to go fossil hunting, find the haunts of famous writers like Enid Blyton, understand words that are special to the Isle of Wight, and find the best cream teas. Review copies from Selina Van Orden at  This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
 

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