New Forest Marque Inspired: a free exhibition in Lyndhurst

If you are after a quiet Saturday afternoon within easy reach of Bournemouth, the New Forest Heritage Centre in Lyndhurst has just opened a free exhibition that is worth the short drive. 'New Forest Marque Inspired' runs from today, 22 August, through to 27 September, and it is a genuine group effort: 18 artists working across painting, ceramics, photography, textiles and jewellery, all drawing on the Forest's landscapes, history, folklore and traditions. It is the kind of show that rewards a slow wander rather than a quick look.

There is a good spread of work to get stuck into. Photographer Alex Wright brings the scale of the place indoors with his panoramic vistas, while Tracy Dovey's expressive paintings lean into the more mysterious side of the Forest, exploring women, myth and witchcraft. On the brighter end of the spectrum, Evelyn Bartlett's gouache landscapes and seascapes are full of colour and light. Between them, the artists cover a lot of ground, from the wide-open views to the folklore that has attached itself to these woods over the centuries, so there is something here whether you come for the scenery or the stories.

The exhibition runs from 10am to 5pm daily, and because it is free, it makes for an easy, low-pressure outing with children or anyone who would rather spend their afternoon looking at art than shopping. The Heritage Centre itself is an independent charitable trust, and it is worth knowing what else is under one roof: alongside the exhibition, there is a museum, a library, an archive, a café and a gift shop, so you can make a proper afternoon of it rather than just popping in and out. It sits at the Main Car Park in Lyndhurst, SO43 7NY, which is handy if you are driving in from the coast.

If you are planning to build a bigger day around it, the New Forest is in the middle of its summer programme. The New Forest Wildlife Park over in Ashurst is open daily from 10am to 5.30pm and has its summer events running until 31 August, with keeper talks, adventure playgrounds and wildlife photography bingo for younger visitors. It has recently taken in a new pair of resident grey wolves and celebrated the birth of two male smooth-coated otter cubs from the UK's only successful breeding pair of the critically endangered species, and it still holds Bodie, the only wolverine in Hampshire, alongside the world's largest collection of giant otters. And if you fancy a bit of music to round things off, the Exbury Festival of Music brings ABBA by Moonlight to Exbury Gardens and Steam Railway on Thursday 27 August, with gates opening at 6.30pm and performances running from 7.30pm to around 10pm. It is a picnic-blanket affair, so bring your own seating and a bit of food, and it sits at £78.50 for adults, £47.25 for children and students, and £225.50 for a family of two adults and two children, with carers and under-fives free. Between the free exhibition in Lyndhurst and a bit of wildlife or music nearby, there is plenty to fill a weekend without straying far from Bournemouth.