A Sunday outing in Upham, in the countryside around Bishops Waltham, along with a great pub and hidden gem forest spot.
Upham playground and walk
We parked up at the rec in this quiet village just near Bishops Waltham and it was a wonderful spot for kids. Fun playground with lots of open playground features, and a huge field with two footie goals with lots of space to run around. Great views over the surrounding countryside too.
We then headed to the back of the rec where they have a small obstacle course so more fun for the kids and a walking path which we took with brilliant views across the surrounding spring landscapes with plenty of yellow. We then did a short 3k route, down the hill taking the first path right and then back along the quiet village road circled back to the village. Our route on Strava in the comments. Such a beautiful time of year for it.
Upham Recreation Ground – Shoe Ln, Upham, Southampton SO32 1JL
The Ship Inn – Owslebury
As we were a bit early for the Brushmakers arms in lower Upham for a drink, we headed a short drive away to The Ship Inn, a historic pub and another picturesque village. It’s got a huge pub garden with picnic tables and small playground for the kids so we enjoyed the slightly warmer temperatures outside with drinks and some chips for the kids, nice crispy chips but don’t come cheap.
Damson Hill Cottage
Finally on our trip, we headed to a fave hidden gem spot just outside bishops Waltham. It’s an event space and glamping spot where you can also visit for a self serve and pay coffee in their betty caravan if you are nice and quiet. It’s tucked away in glorious sloping woodland, and we enjoyed sitting in the nature, having a moonroast coffee with kids rope swing and we played board games inside too. We then picked some wild garlic in their forest area in the grounds for some home cooking, the forest was full of it.
The glamping and general space are also available for private hire for family gatherings etc so we will be looking that up for the summer.
Do get in touch with Tors, the owner for enquiries and let her know we sent you her way 
You can find out more about the space and events here – https://www.damsonhillcottage.com
