Calshot Activities Centre Review

Went for the taster track bike session as a present from my partner. I was a bit nervous as I am not that fit and was worried that I would not cope. The session was really well organised with some friendly and funny coaching. It was a very mixed ability group but the coach ensured that everybody got the right level of instruction. We did a range of well paced activities gradually increasing our skills. At the end of the session we were riding around in a group practicing overtaking and catch up manoeuvres - which was a lot of fun! I enjoyed every minute and I can t wait to get back on the track - thanks so much Calshot :-)

Well worth a visit the Velodrome is good.
The cafe is better than Lepe snd the views are wonderful.

Velodrome riding was great fun. Three hour coaching by Prime Coaching gave fast learning in a relaxed atmosphere and was excellent value. But blimey it was chilly. Recommend to dress according to outdoor conditions despite there being four walls and a roof. Additional note of caution to the unwary, accidents do happen, so follow coaching instructions as best you can.

We only visited Calshot activity center, for the restaurant. But sadly on this day f are visit and because of C19. We could only see a few items on the menu!!! But still a nice visit.

Good climbing wall, but could do with some new holds.

Not the best routes in the world, but brilliant for indoor rock climbing training

I took a sailing course here and was hugely impressed. The instructors were friendly and professional with a real passion for what they did and passing it on (surprisingly uncommon at other sailing & watersports centres). The equipment was brand new and the facilities top notch. The location is also brilliant, with very little chop even in very strong winds.

Love it here. So much to see and do. Love the cafe in the centre. Go down there sometimes just to go there. The whole family can enjoy Calshot for so many reasons. I hope the locals appreciate it and visitors to the area would love it!! Highly recommend to anyone.

I use the center to kitesurf manly in winter when to tide is going out pools of flat water and there is clean changing rooms with hot showers and a cafe in the center that is open all day

Good activity centre. Large climbing wall with a variety of climbs including bouldering, autobelay, top rope and lead lines on overhangs slabs and a stalagmite!

Great place with a good choice of activities on offer. Plenty of information about the history of Calshot. Friendly and helpful staff, great cafe with excellent views across the Solent to the isle of Wight and Portsmouth. Good place to watch the ships coming into Southampton. Nice area for a walk with good parking (not free) with a beach and old castle to look around. I would recommend

Live the velodrome. Plentiful parking. Cafe is really slow.

Great velodrome
Great climbing
I wouldn't go here to learn to ski

Awesome climbing wall. Booked the "climbing taster" to get an intro to rock climbing. Instructor was really good, enjoyed it very much. Will definitely go back again.

Excellent climbing wall but can be a bit chilly - test it as you would an outdoor activity.

Great food great activity and no worries about the weather

Great place lots to see and do has cafe that's reasonable price kids can try out climbing and ringos

Great views, good food unique location, excellent activities

Large premises, only went to cafe while there, good place to go to see ships in and out from the solent.

Nice place for a family day fun,beside all the restriction due to Covid 19.We have a quiet place on the beach as well where we can respect the social distance.I would recommend for a relaxing family day.

Nice place for the family parking is at a good price was a little disappointed with the amount of flies in the cafe

Great velodrome. Just bring warm clothes in winter as it is unheated.

Great multi activity venue in an amazing location. Good food and coffee too!

Fantastic for climbing, well set routes and plenty of lead climbs at heights of up to 15m. Never fail to enjoy my time here.

Cracking place we just walked around the centre. An excellent opportunity for everyone to get involved in climbing. Skiing and sailing water sports etc .

Calshot is a great activity center for you and even kids. There is a huge variety of activities and I would recommend this to everyone

Usually a bit skeptical of seaside cafes but this really impressed me. Decent chicken burger and chips with an interesting view.

So much activity packed into one space! The velodrome is great fun, especially in a group. The dry slope is a bit short but indoors so can be used in all weather. But the highlight for me is the climbing wall, which is extensive and has a good spread or grades. There are climbs there for everybody and they're generally set well.

Skiing, track cycling, SUP, Sailing, Kayaking, Climbing. What's not to love!

Great helpful staff, really enjoyed learning to snowboard. Would recommend it. Have also used the velodrome which was a fantastic experience. Website is a bit messy and something's are hard to read.

Awesome climbing wall, you can even have a beer in the cafe afterwards!

Good activity centre lot of stuff to do just check times and availability

Great views of Southampton water and the Isle of Wight.
Friendly.cafe.

Loved it here, plenty if parking, pay when you leave. We went on the ringos, kids loved it and it wears them out. There are no lifts to take you the top so you do it under your own steam. Take drinks with you as you will need them. Leave anything not necessary in your car as there are no lockers. Will visit again, might do the skiing.

Great visit I worked there when it was under threat of closure its so good to see money has been spent to turn it into the jewel in the Crown which it deserved.

If you like climbing the place to go great facility .Indoor ski slope and velodrome.The cafe is right on the shore side good place to watch the world go by. The food basic but ok.

Huge place with loads to do, even just for a nosey.

Absolutely wonderful place. Very relaxing an scenic place to unwind an chill out.

Love the climbing wall and it's in a beautiful setting too, right by a pebble beach where you can view the ships in the Solent.

It's in the middle of nowhere! But well worth a visit. Another place that does not know what it is. Is it an activity centre for kids for teenagers for adults? Is it trying to push all the buttons at the same time? Risky!

Pop in here regularly. The cafe staff are great and a place I would recommend any one to try

A nice spot to sit in the cafe and watch the boats go by.

Some of the best top-rope and lead climbing routes in the Southampton area. Offers full equipment hire for new climbers.

It's quite a long drive but parking is available. It is one of the pricier walls to attend.

The wow factor wow look at him go the him being a cruiser a yacht or a ferry if you love the sea you're love it

This is an amazing space with a varied climbing experience, and some new activities for younger climbers. The cafe prices are very reasonable too.

Loved the velodrome and the rock climbing wall looked great

A great location for an activity centre. Surrounded by beach walks and plenty of parking. Lots of schools organise away trips for students here.

Food is a bit expensive. Disabled toilet is in frequent use.

Great day out for friends and families. Option to Dry skie, Valedrome (bikes available to hire), rock climibing. Nice coffee shop with free WiFi and plenty of seating. Situated right next to Calshot Castle on shore front. Parking not cheap. Bush during summer period. Book in advance to avoid disappointments.

I stayed twice during my childhood and as a college student. This place helped me find what I was good at! They helped me realize that I wasn t the awkward kid that couldn t catch a ball. I aced the skiing, shooting, climbing and archery!

I'm a Primary School kid and just came back from a 4 night stay here, and it is phenomenal. The activities were amazing, the staff were lovely and the accommodation and food was exquisite. Definitely recommend it to others.

There is an incredible variety of amazing activities, fun for all ages. They have skiing, snowboarding, ringos, low ropes, high ropes, aerotrek (like go ape), shooting (air rifle and pellets), multiple climbing structures including walls where you don't need someone to B-lay you, kayaking, sailing, velodrome cycling. You can camp, caravan or stay at the accommodation blocks there (though I personally found the accommodation blocks to be quite uncomfortable. The sea is a beautiful blue though the tide does go back quite dramatically which can make the area smell a bit but not too badly.

Go through the door. We have seen this place often when visiting Calshot castle. We wanted a cuppa and the castle was closed so ventured in to have a nosey. Loads of things going on. Rock climbing, veladrome, ski slopes. Went In to the cafe picture windows looking out onto the sea. Catered for gluten free, lovely cuppa served by very nice staff.

To me is the nicest beach in near Southampton I've been going in there for the last 40 years I do get some seafood from the beach and I cook a Spanish bias or risotto when's low tide the water is warm I'm glad I live near this beach

Calshot is a coastal village in Hampshire, England at the west corner of Southampton Water where it joins the Solent. The first thing passengers on the ships that approach Southampton Waters notice is the tall tower which is the Coastguard Tower which stands proudly next to Calshot Castle. Calshot was first mentioned in history in 495 AD when it was related in the Saxon Chronicles that a Saxon chieftain had landed somewhere between Lepe and present day Calshot with five ships, this was believed to have been Cericesora, the landing place of Cerdic, a name similar to that used in the manorial roll for the site in 980 AD. Henry VIII was famous for his dissolving of the monasteries and being excommunicated by the Pope so he decided that Couldshore would be a perfect place to construct a castle, which would govern the approaches to Southampton, which during the 15th and 16th centuries deemed to be the third largest Port in England, and it was believed that the French and Spanish were ready to invade England and this seemed a likely place, and this castle would link in well with the other castles at Netley and St Andrew's on the common at Hamble.
Calshot Castle was built in a strategic location at Calshot Spit to protect the entry to Southampton Water and the third largest port of the time. Calshot Castle was constructed from Portland Stone and stones quarried from the former Beaulieu Abbey in 1539. It was designed with a three storey keep and a circular structure to counter new and improved cannon fire. During the reign of Elizabeth I, Calshot Castle was damaged in a fire and required some 130 oak trees for its repairs. In 1585 the start of the 80 years war, an artillery garrison comprising seven gunners and one master gunner were stationed at Calshot. Two years later with the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, Roman Catholics across the world were outraged. Her claim to the throne was passed to Philip II of Spain who was granted Papal authority to overthrow Elizabeth I. Repairs at Calshot were ended in 1588 in time for the threat of the Spanish Armada. Despite this rebuilding, Calshot Castle survives in much the same state as that in which it was first built.
Calshot is notable for its role in the development of aircraft and flying boats. In 1913 the Royal Flying Corps established Calshot Naval Air Station ( later known as RNAS Calshot and RAF Calshot ) at the end of Calshot Spit. It was also at one point home to Lawrence of Arabia. At the outbreak of WWI, the Schneider Race went on hold. The defence of the English Channel would be headed by Calshot and Dover. Calshot Castle now housed the officers' mess and it was from here that new recruits were trained. Calshot had now become an important base with new buildings of offices, hangars and workshops. In 1927, Flight Lieutenant Webster won the Schneider Cup Competition clocking in a speed of 281.65 mph in a Supermarine S5. The win also granted England the right to hold the next Schneider Competition. The 1929 race took place in the Solent while the teams were based at Calshot. So far, Britain and Italy had taken the title three times, America won twice and France once. This time it would be won by flying officer, H.R.D. Waghorn who flew a Supermarine 6 at a speed of 328 mph.

Great if you enjoy rock climbing, skiing (on a dry slope), ringoing, cycling and lots more. The hanger has plenty of history for those who are interested in these sorts of things. The instructors are all very nice and welcoming and take things at the pace you want to go. Finally, the cafe is always clean when I go there. I would recommend!!!

Not the best day to visit, misty wet, then to find out the cafe were unable to make hot chocolate, or cappachino coffee, owing to machines not working

Excellent facilities and really helpful staff, we had a great time.

A great place with so many activities to try and the venue has tons of interesting history too.

Activities centre was empty but potent with climbing walls and skiing slope invitingly humming. And the ladies at the cafe kindly allowed me to use public toilets which in era of pandemia are hard to come by. So the beach was double pleasure afterwords. The dog enjoyed most of it shingle.

Unheated climbing centre in middle of nowhere very cold. More set up for teaching climbing. Has velodrome and dryslope too.

A velodrome with Dolan Track bikes, pitching for watersports/kites, two small indoor ski slopes, and an incredible selection of extra height climbing walls. The climbing zone is very impressive.

Awesome time Ringo-ing. Definitely going to be back here. I went on Ariel runway and it was absolutely amazing

A great day out for family rock climbing speed tract forbikes and a ski slope plus a cafe for eats and drink

Brilliant place for the whole family. Definitely worth more of my time.

Excellent place for lots of reasons,it's stunning scenery all around it,activities include velodrome,indoor ski slope,canoes,climbing wallets etc,we go alot to the superb cafe overlooking the sea it's a real gem!!food here is really good and reasonably priced as you would normally get charged for the fantastic view,there are also seats outside,can.t rate this enuf

Exelent customer service and had a great first time on the slopes with a very knowledgeable instructor. Highly recommend if your looking to learn as a beginner.

Always a pleasure to return to this climbing wall. Friendly staff, excellent advice and enough beta to be happy with.