Why Winchester-Romsey?
Romsey, near Winchester, is the perfect place for a group of young students to explore:
- It's safe. It is a small, friendly town where your students can safely experience life in England.
- It's interesting. It is full of historic buildings, monuments and museums.
- It's beautiful. It has a magnificent abbey and lovely riverside walks.
- It's fun. It has swimming, tennis, squash, a skate park, mini-golf, and a theatre.
It's also very easy to get to lots of other fantastic places from Romsey - including Winchester, Stonehenge, Portsmouth, Southampton, the New Forest and the Isle of Wight.
It's easy to get to London - and the main London airports - from Romsey.
Activities and Excursions
See our Group activities page for information about how we can help to arrange activities for your group.
Places to visit
There is a wide range of places you can visit, starting with local visits and then places further afield.
Local places you can visit on foot
Romsey Abbey
Romsey Abbey is a stunning example of Norman architecture and one of the most impressive parish churches in southern England. Dating back to the 10th century, it was originally part of a Benedictine nunnery and has a rich history, ancient stonework, beautiful stained glass windows, and a peaceful atmosphere.
Walk along the River Test
The River Test flows gently through Romsey, adding natural beauty and a sense of calm to the town. Known as one of England’s finest chalk streams, it’s famous for its clear waters and excellent trout fishing. The river is a peaceful place to walk, picnic, or simply enjoy the scenery.
Labyrinth
The labyrinth at La Sagesse combines the imagery of a circle and a spiral into a meandering but purposeful path. Unlike a maze, a labyrinth has no dead ends. It has only one path. The way in, is the way out.
Fishlake Meadows Nature Reserve
Fishlake Meadows nature reserve is a spectacular wetland, home to hunting ospreys, elusive bitterns, migratory cuckoos and murmurating starlings. It also supports other species like otters, water voles, 24 species of dragonfly and damselfly, and an impressive variety of plants.
Places to visit in nearby Winchester:
The Arc, Winchester
Winchester's modern library is an excellent resource with exhibitions and galleries, free internet access and a cafe.
City Museum
Uncover Winchester's past at the friendly City Museum.
The Westgate
A fortified medieval gateway which served as a debtors' prison for 150 years. It has splendid rooftop views across Winchester.
The City Mill
Perched over the fast-flowing River Itchen, Winchester City Mill has regular milling demonstrations, children's quizzes and an interactive exhibition.
Winchester College
Believed to be the oldest continuously running school in the country, Winchester College boasts some illustrious alumni including the author Anthony Trollope and the Everest mountaineer George Mallory.
Winchester Military Museums
Home to one of the most sizeable collections of regimental history outside London in the form of five museums.
Places to visit in the surrounding area
Winchester Science Centre & Planetarium
A hands-on interactive science and technology centre. Float through the universe with out-of-this-world digital theatre presentations in the UK's largest planetarium.
Marwell Wildlife Park
Set in one hundred acres of parkland, Marwell Zoo is a beautiful setting for some of the World's rarest species.
Easily reached by coach or public transport
London
Winchester is on an express train line to London. Trains take one hour to reach Waterloo Station, which is on the south bank of the river Thames, very close to many of the main sights, including the River, Houses of Parliament (Big Ben), London Eye.
Stonehenge and Avebury
Stonehenge is one of the most fascinating ancient monuments in the world - of great interest to those who love ancient history, mystery and science. It is situated not far from Winchester, near Salisbury, in Wiltshire. It can be visited by coach, train+bus or using local buses, changing at Salisbury.
Stonehenge is very famous, but don’t overlook Avebury – another famous Stone Circle, to the west of Stonehenge. You can easily visit both in one day.
Portsmouth
The naval city of Portsmouth is easy to get to by train.
Historic Dockyard. You can go aboard Nelson’s ship, the HMS Victory, and the 1860 HMS Warrior.
Gunwharf Quays. Great for designer clothes, this Portsmouth retail park also has water side bars and restaurants
Spinnaker Tower. The views are great from the top.
Winchester (bus)
15 kilometres from Romsey, this small, friendly city with its impressive cathedral was once the capital of England. As well as its high street market and plenty of local shops, it is full of historic buildings, monuments and museums.
Other places you can visit by train or coach
- Bournemouth
- Brighton
- Portsmouth
- Oxford
- Southampton
- Brockenhurst (New Forest)
- Dorchester (Thomas Hardy country)
… and many other places of interest.
Visits by mini-bus or coach:
(places not easily visited by public transport)
- South Downs, Chichester
- Beaulieu
- Paultons Park – Theme Park
Other local activities
Romsey Rapids – a public sports centre, with swimming pool and gym. Take students swimming or to use other facilities.
Tennis – there are public tennis courts.
Golf – organised by arrangement, including group sessions where students are taught the basic shots.
Sing-songs – we can organise a young guitarist to meet your group and get them singing some English songs!
Cinema – Nearby Eastleigh (accessible by bus or train) has a Vue multiplex cinema showing the latest films.
Ten-pin Bowling – Nearby Eastleigh (accessible by bus or train) has a ten-pin bowling alley
Transport options
Getting around is easy for groups based in Romsey.
On foot
Romsey itself is a small town, and the centre and other places of interest can easily be visited on foot. For groups wanting to walk further, there are also fantastic countryside itineraries on foot of between 3 and 15 kilometers.
Local bus
You can visit some very interesting and attractive towns, for example Winchester (ancient capital of England) or Southampton (with its shopping centres and medieval old city) by local bus. Fares are reasonable, though more expensive than similar journeys in most other countries.
Train
Romsey has direct connections with:
- Southampton
- Salisbury
- Cardiff
- Portsmouth
and many other places of interest.
Train travel in the UK is not cheap, but special fares are available for groups.
Coach
A private coach gives you total flexibility and is the best option for groups of 30+