Rowhill Nature Reserve hides the source of the River Blackwater amongst charismatically named areas like Stickleback Pond, Rhododendron Avenue, Kingfisher Carr, The Brickworks and Chestnut Glade. Can you follow the river to find where it springs from?
Rowhill Nature Reserve The Source of the Blackwater There isn’t much to see but the bog trickles into a stream that flows into… Stickleback Pond The River Blackwater Den Building Rhododendron Avenue The Paths 1. The Blackwater Valley Path 2. The Nature Trail This is a circular path and begins and ends at the car park on Cranmore Lane. 50 Things to Do How many can you complete?
There are stumps to balance on, trees to climb, hills to explore, bridges to build and places to paddle. 
The River Blackwater is stream-sized 
but has little waterfalls and spots to paddle in.
The source of the Blackwater River is an area of bog. It is next to the pond and marked with an information board. 
…Stickleback Pond, which has a small dam and waterfall. 
The River Blackwater quickly becomes stream-sized and has little waterfalls and spots to paddle in.
The paths wind through deciduous woodland with a spot for den building…
…and along Rhododendron Avenue before coming to a tranquil meadow and field surrounded by trees.
I found the paths easy to use and push an all terrain buggy along. There are paths that are narrow in places but they were all just ok for my narrow double buggy.
There are two paths from the car park on Cranmore Lane:
The Blackwater Valley Path starts at the end of the car park near the white house and meanders through the reserve staying close to the River Blackwater.
This is Section 1 of the Blackwater Valley Path and is not a circular path and follows the river out of the reserve at Parkland Grove.
This is about 1.5 miles long and is marked by a series of posts, starting at the field centre (the wooden building next to the car park).
This trail leads up over steps and a steep hill but these can be avoided if you follow the Blackwater Valley Path to the source of the River Blackwater, where the two paths meet up.
A copy of the nature trail can be found on the Rowhill Nature Reserve website, which marks the steps and an easy access, special needs path that can be accessed from Parkland Grove (GU9 9HA).
You could also tackle the 50 Things to Do at Rowhill Copse sheet the reserve have put together.
Visit the Rowhill Nature Reserve website
Further Information
Nearest Town: Aldershot Opens: Daily Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. How Long We Spent There: 3 hours Parking: There is a small car park on Cranmore Lane (GU11 3BD). This can be busy. Wildlife You Might See: Kingfishers, birds, badgers, lizards, butterflies and other insects. Information Written: April 2017
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU11 3BD
Cost: Free
Facilities: None
Buggies: Buggy friendly
Cost of Parking: Free
Information Checked: May 2024
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