Bovington Camp

It was at Bovington Camp that TE Lawrence served as a private in the Royal Tank Corps. Today, the camp is home to the Tank Museum which has almost 200 vehicles on display dating from World War I to the present day. Highlights include the Tank Story exhibition, the Discovery Centre and new for 2011 is the Trench Experience, where you can follow in the footsteps of a World War I soldier. Audio tours are available, there’s a children’s play area, restaurant and gift shop, and during the summer tanks take part in live action displays.

A very different kind of attraction, to the east of Bovington camp, is Monkey World whose 65 acres are home to more than 160 primates rescued from all over the world. After ten years of the successful TV programme Monkey Business, a new series, Monkey Life provides insights into man’s closest living relatives and broadcasts the day-to-day life at Monkey World and some of the remarkable stories of rescue and rehabilitation of the primates. The site also includes the largest children’s adventure play area on the south coast, an education centre, woodland walk, pets’ corner, café, picnic areas and full disabled facilities.