The Play Trail

The Play Trail is a route that guides you through the woods to 9 hidden play areas and the Tree Top Trail.

 

 

 

 

You can explore a Giant Wood Ants’ Nest

 

 

 

 

wander the Enchanted Woods

 

 

 

 

 

make music at the House of Baba Yaga

 

 

 

 

crawl through the Snake Pit

 

 

 

 

 

brave the Bewlidernest

 

 

 

 

 

fly through the Hawk House

 

 

 

 

 

soar along the Tree Top Trail

 

 

 

 

 

sneak past the Spiders

 

 

 

 

 

pick your way through the infested waters of Crocodile Crossing

 

 

 

 

and scramble up Timber.

 

 

 

 

 

The Paths

The Play Trail is about a mile long and took us about 2 hours to complete with a lot of stopping and playing.

The paths are clearly marked and I did not have any problems pushing an all-terrain buggy.

 

 

 

The Miniature Railway

The Moors Valley Railway rumbles through the park (with seasonal opening hours). This is a miniature railway that connects Lakeside and Kingsmere stations.

 

 

 

 

Everything Else!

There are other marked trails to try – fitness trails, walking trails, cycling trails, audio trails and even a Hawk Walk, which is a walk through the forest with free flying hawks (this needs to be booked in advance)!

 

 

 

Also on offer is Go Ape Tree Top and Segway Adventures,

 

 

 

 

an orienteering course, a golf course with Footgolf and a family activity area with pitch and putt and equipment hire. 

 

 

 

 

Where to Eat?

There is a cafe and two picnic areas – one next to the lake and railway and another between the Visitor Centre and the forest.

The latter has life-size sculptures of the Gruffalo and the Gruffalo’s child.

 

The Play Areas

The fantastic play areas are divided into the Adventure Area, for older children, and the Castle and Sandworks area, for younger children.

 

The Adventure Area

The Adventure Area has:

• a large slide with a climbing wall
• a climbing wall
• a climbing boulder
• a zip wire
• a basket swing
• a large rope climbing frame
• a huge wooden fortress with a long tube slide, tunnels and rope bridges
• rope swings.

 

The Castle and Sandworks

The Castle and Sandworks has equipment including:

• a multi-play with a slide and easy to climb steps
• another slide
• a large multi-play shaped like a house with a slide, fireman’s pole, climbing wall and ropes to climb on
• toddler swings made of ropes
• a wooden train
• mechanical diggers you can operate
• wooden animals
• an obstacle course
• springers
• spinners
• sand construction areas with buckets, chutes and pulleys.

Nearest Town: Ringwood
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: BH24 2ET

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat in the Visitor Centre cafe.
Facilities: Toilets, accessible toilets, ice creams, snacks, cafe, picnic areas.

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly. Note that this is not wide enough for a buggy but there is a path that allows you to skip past it.

Parking: Large car park but it is very busy at peak times.
Cost of Parking: Various charges, from £2 per hour.  Please see their website for full details.

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, swans, birds and insects.

Information Written: April 2017
Information Checked: October 2022

 

Mudeford Quay Beach

This beach is a good place to launch a boat, kayak etc or to play in the sand.

 

 

 

 

It’s not really somewhere suitable to paddle or play in the water as it is muddy.

 

 

 

Instead, take the ferry to to the beach opposite the quay on Mudeford Sandbank or walk down to Avon Beach. 

 

 

 

 

Mudeford Quay 

Mudeford Quay is a working fishing harbour at the mouth of Christchurch Harbour.

 

 

 

 

You can ride a ferry,

 

 

 

 

 

try crabbing

 

 

 

 

 

or just relax on the beach.

 

 

 

 

 

Crabbing 

People fish for crabs from the quayside using lines and bait bags, which can be bought on the quayside. You are asked not to use hooks.

 

 

Mudeford Quay Play Area

Next to the quay and car park is Mudeford Quay Play Area, a small adventure play area dominated by a huge ship to plunder. 

 

 

 

The play equipment includes:

• a swing
• a toddler swing 
• a wooden ship climbing frame with a slide, nets, a rope bridge and a climbing wall
• a spinning cup
• a seesaw
• a roundabout
• two wooden springers
• a little zip wire
• a sand play area with chutes
• seats and
• a picnic table.

Nearest Town: Christchurch, near Bournemouth
County: Dorset
Nearest Postcode: BH23 4AB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or try one of the cafes. 
Facilities: Ice creams, snacks, cafe, picnic table, toilets and accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: Full day.
Buggies: Buggy friendly.

Parking: Large pay and display car park
Cost of Parking: From £1.70 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Seabirds, crabs and other sealife.

Information Written: July 2022

 

Rare Spiders

Walllis Wood is also home to a rare spider called Hyptiotes paradoxus. It is a small spider that lives in the yew trees you see scattered throughout the woods. We weren’t lucky enough to spot one – I had no idea what they looked like and had no reception in Wallis Wood for a quick Google!

If you are interested, have a read about them before you go. This British Arachnalogical Society website has some information and photos.  

 

St. John the Baptist, Okewood

Hidden at the bottom of Wallis Wood is a picturesque, 13th Century church. To find it you have to walk all the way through the woods, to the bottom of the hill. The church is on your right at the top of another hill.

There are steps on the path leading up to the church from the woods. To avoid these, continue on the main path until you reach a small car park. From here there is a slope up to the church.

 

The Paths

The paths are fairly level, although in places they are nothing more than a well-trodden track of broken leaves. This adds to the fun! 

 

 

 

When we visited there were fallen trees along the path, which would make using a buggy trickier than normal.

It was dry when we visited but the ground is clay and you can tell these paths become very muddy and sticky after wet weather.

 

From the Car Park

Turn right out of the Scarlett Arms pub car park and walk a little way down the road until you come to a wooden gate and footpath on your left.

This pathway takes you along a stream to Wallis Wood. 

 

Nearest Town: Walliswood, Near Cranleigh
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: RH5 5PL

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a blanket and a picnic or eat at the Scarlett Arms.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Not buggy friendly but doable if you are determined. There are some steep slopes and fallen trees on the path in places. 

Parking: There is no car park but you can use the car park opposite the Scarlett Arms pub (RH5 5RD). 
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, butterflies, rare spiders and birds.

Information Written: May 2021

 

The play equipment in the enclosed area includes:

• a bus climbing frame 
• toddler swings
• swings
• an elephant springer
• a hedgehog springer
• a roundabout
• a seesaw
• a multiplay with a slide, a climbing wall and climbing bars
• a multiplay with four slides, a fireman’s pole, nets and bridges
• an obstacle course with balancing beams, wobbly platforms 
• seats.

 

The play equipment in the field includes:

• a tyre swing
• balancing logs
• a skate park
• a climbing area for older children with three walls
• a zip wire
• a large tube slide with a net bridge and a ladder

 

 

This play area is on Yateley Green, which has a pond 

 

 

 

 

fields, including a wildflower meadow and woodland. 

 

 

Nearest Town: Yateley
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU46 7RP

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: Toilets and picnic tables. 

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a car park. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: June 2022

 

Wellesley Woodlands

Wellesley Woodlands is a network of woodland

 

 

 

 

and pathways in and around Aldershot

 

 

 

 

 

and along the beautiful Basingstoke Canal.  

 

 

 

 

 

Activity Trails

There are lots of activity trails to try in the What To Do section of their website,

 

 

 

 

including brass rubbing, orienteering and Go Wild challenges.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Brass Rubbing Trail

This took us about an hour to walk around. It was an easy walk on mostly flat paths. 

 

 

 

 

The brass rubbing trail map is available on the Wellesley Woodlands website and has spaces for each of the brass rubbing posts. 

Nearest Town: Aldershot
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU11 1QA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There are several car parks you can try. The one at the start of the brass rubbing trail is next to Wellington’s statue (GU11 1QA).
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, butterflies and other insects.

Information Written: August 2022

 

Hankley Common

Hankley Common has beautiful views and some of the finest heathland in Southern England, all criss-crossed by a network of paths.

 

 

 

We have stumbled across lizards, onto film sets and down steep, sandy hills. 

 

 

 

 

 

The Atlantic Wall

Hidden in the trees near Upper Car Park is the Atlantic Wall, which was built by Canadian soldiers in 1943.

 

 

 

 

This was used to train soldiers to overcome the German defences they might face in northern France. 

 

 

 

 

Dragon’s Teeth

Scattered through the nearby trees are pyramid-shaped anti-tank obstacles, which were also used for training.   

 

 

 

 

 

James Bond

Hankley Common was one of the locations used for James Bond’s childhood home in the film Skyfall.  

 

 

 

 

Thor’s Den

There is a nearby play area called Thor’s Den, which is on the edge of Thursley Common, just a short drive from Hankley Common.

Nearest Town: Thursley, near Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU8 6LW

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a blanket and a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: I wouldn’t bring a buggy here as there are sandy hills to navigate. 

Parking: There are two car parks that can both be found from Thursley Road. The first is called Upper Car Park and can be found using post code GU8 6LW. It is at the top of a little side road that comes off Thursley Road on the double bend (opposite a sign that says “Hankley TRG Area DZ Huts”). The second is called Thursley Public Car Park, which can be found using post code GU10 2LQ and is towards The Sculpture Park end of the road. 
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Birds, lizards, deer and insects.

Information Written: November 2020

 

The Reserve

The Lymington-Keyhaven Nature Reserve is an expanse of coastal lagoons, mudflats and marshes and an important nesting site for birds.  

 

 

 

The mud flats look very different at high

 

 

 

 

and low tide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt Production

To produce salt, coastal lagoons were built into salt docks, called Salterns, which trapped the sea water.

 

 

 

 

The sea water was left to evaporate and, once reduced to a salty solution, it was heated in metal pans until only salt crystals were left.  

 

 

 

All that remains of this industry are the lagoons and this building, which was once a salt barn.

You can find this between points 4 and 5 on the Story Trail map. 

 

 

 

The Story Trail

The Story of Salterns, Sea Monsters and Saving the Day is a story trail that takes you back to 1832 and the life of a salt farmer as they meet sailors, smugglers and a huge sea monster. 

 

 

 

The Paths

The paths are flat and easy to walk along with a range of surfaces.

 

 

 

 

 

Finding the Reserve

To find the reserve, follow the post code to Maiden Lane, where you can park. Where Maiden Lan becomes Normandy Lane, you will see this side road.

You can either take the small footpath on your left (next to the green bin in the photo)

 

or follow the road a little further and enter the reserve through this gate, which is where the story trail begins.

 

Nearest Town: Lymington, near Christchurch in the New Forest
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO41 8AF

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a blanket and a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: The paths are flat and easy to walk on.

Parking: You can park on Maiden Lane by the side of the road. 
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Birds and seabirds.

Information Written: July 2022

 

The Hill Fort

About 2,500 years ago, Danebury Hill Fort was a series of earthen ramparts, ditches and gateways protecting a central area. 

As you can imagine, it has a spectacular location with far-reaching views. 

 

 

The Inhabitants

It is believed that during the Iron Age, about 300 to 400 people lived at Danebury Hill Fort, along with grain stores, livestock, temples and shrines. 

By about 100BC, Danebury Hill Fort had been abandoned and was probably being used as a farm.

 

 

Local Nature Reserve

Today Danebury Hill Fort is a tranquil nature reserve with beautiful views. 

 

 

 

 

 

* Hampshire CC’s Story Trails

This is one of Hampshire County Council’s Story Trails.

These are walks with interactive stories to read along the way, which are told by a cute character called the Story Snail.

 

Each Story Trail is about one mile long and divided into numbered sections. Numbered markers prompt you to read the sections of the story along the trail.

 

 

Finding a Story Pack

To follow the Story Trail you need a free pack that you can either borrow from a specified place (with a Hampshire Library card and a £20 returnable deposit) or download a copy of a story trail from the internet in written or audio form.

Each pack has a map to follow and the trail itself is marked with arrows and/or pictures of the Story Snail.

Nearest Town: Andover
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO20 6HZ

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a blanket and a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 2 hours
Buggies: It is easy to take an all terrain buggy to the hill fort but not up onto the ramparts, which have very steep sides.

Parking: Car park. 
Cost of Parking: Free.

Wildlife You Might See: Butterflies and other insects, rabbits and birds.

Information Written: September 2019

 

Fun at the Beach…

The pond has several sandy beaches where you can have fun wading, paddling and splashing.

You can also pond dip, build sand castles and feed the ducks.

 

 

The biggest beaches are on the car park side of the pond but there are a few smaller beaches in other parts too. 

 

 

 

 

…but No Swimming

Swimming is not allowed at Frensham Little Pond to protect the pond habitat, but you can swim at the nearby Frensham Great Pond. 

 

 

 

 

The Tern Cafe

The Tern Cafe is next to the pond and only a short walk from the car park.

It offers snacks, drinks and ice creams and has picnic tables, some under cover. 

 

 

 

Bird Hide

What will you spy from the bird hide?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Walks

Although this is called Frensham Little Pond, it is not small – it took us about an hour to walk all the way around.

 

 

 

 

There are benches and a boardwalk along the way. 

There is a Frensham Little Pond Family Trail you can follow around the pond. 

 

 

 

The Paths

Most of the paths were easy to push a normal buggy across. Some do have tree roots.

 

 

 

 

There are sandy stretches onto Frensham Common that are tougher.

 

 

 

 

 

Frensham Common

Frensham Little Pond is part of Frensham Common, an area of open and airy heathland with woods and beautiful viewpoints.

 

Nearest Town: Frensham, near Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 3BT

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at the Tern Cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: You can push a buggy around the pond but choose one that can cope with sand and roots. 

Parking: There are several car parks but they can be very busy when the weather is warm.
Cost of Parking: Free for National Trust members or from £1.50 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens and squirrels.

Information Written: March 2016
Information Checked: November 2023

 

The Modern World

Unfortunately, life has moved on during the last 100 years and the modern world now surrounds the meadows – they are bordered by the M3 and the A331 as well as an industrial estate.

 

 

 

The continuous drone of road noise detracts from the picturesque surroundings of the rolling fields, lazy river and wading herons.

 

 

 

Hawley Meadows

This is an area of floodplain meadow with a river walk, bridges to play Poohsticks.

 

 

 

 

The Story of the Nymphs and the Boggart

It also has a Story Trail* called “The Story of the Nymphs and the Boggart” which leads you around the meadow, telling tales of wood nymphs, water nymphs and a cheeky boggart.

 

 

The Paths around Hawley Meadows

There is a path around the outside of the meadows, which took us about an hour to walk around at a slow pace.

 

 

 

 

The Blackwater Valley Path

The Blackwater Valley Path is 23 miles long, marked by signposts and divided into 12 sections.  

These sections follow the river, are not circular and do not finish where they start.  

 

 

Section 6 of the Blackwater Valley Path runs through Hawley Meadows. It is a walking and also cycling trail but is not hard surfaced.

 

 

 

Hampshire County Council’s Story Trails

*These are walks with interactive stories to read along the way, as told by a cute character called the Story Snail.

Each Story Trail is about one mile long and is divided into numbered sections that you read out as you reach number markers along the trail.

 

Finding a Copy of the Story Trail

To follow the Story Trail you need a free pack that you can either borrow from a specified place (with a Hampshire Library card and a £20 returnable deposit) or download the story trail from the internet in written or audio form.  

Each pack has a map to follow and the trail itself is marked with arrows and/or pictures of the Story Snail.

Nearest Town: Camberley
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU15 3YH

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly but with some uneven paths.

Parking: There is a car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Herons, birds and butterflies.

Information Written: April 2017
Information Checked: June 2024