The Trails

Various trails criss-cross Alice Holt Forest. Some are easy access, others are wilder.  Some are flat, others have steep hills.

They are all marked and there are free maps available.

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt Forest is one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

You buy a map bursting with activities to try along the trail – drawings to colour, puzzles to ponder and woodland things to spot.  

 

 

 

 

Along the way you also come face to face with characters from the stories, including the Gruffalo, Stick Man and the Gruffalo’s child.

 

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Habitat Trail leads you past both adventure play areas

 

 

 

 

and also hides huge play sculptures.

 

 

 

 

 

The Adventure Play Areas

Alice Holt has two adventure play areas.

Playwood Adventure Play Area is next to the cafe and has large wooden climbing frames, slides and swings.

 

 

 

Timberline Adventure Play Area is a five minute walk from Playwood and is a huge, circular obstacle course with wooden climbing frames, slides, bridges and nets. 

 

 

 

Other Activities

Alice Holt also has an Activity Centre and Shop that offers cycle hire 

 

 

 

 

table tennis

 

 

 

 

 

volleyball

 

 

 

 

 

and badminton.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also orienteering 

 

 

 

 

Go Ape 

 

 

 

 

 

and lots of picnic spots to try.

 

 

 

 

 

The Cafe 

This is located next to the main entrance and Visitor Centre.

You can its picnic tables to eat food you have bought there or brought from home. 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic, hire a barbecue or eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Picnic tables, barbecue hire, cafe, ice creams, drinks, snacks, toilets, accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: March 2016
Information Checked: February 2025

 

Playwood is next to the cafe and has play equipment that includes:

• a large wooden climbing frame with a slide, tunnels, towers with easy to climb stairs, nets, a fireman’s pole and ladders
• a smaller wooden climbing frame for younger children with a slide, a bridge, a fireman’s pole and easy to climb stairs
• a wooden hut with a rope
• a wooden shipwreck climbing frame
• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• an accessible roundabout
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

Timberline Adventure Play Area

Timberline Adventure Play Area is a five minute walk from Playwood and is a huge, circular obstacle course with slides, ropes and climbing frames.

 

 

 

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest is full of things to do – play trails, cycle tracks, table tennis, orienteering, adventure play areas and even story book characters like the Gruffalo…

 

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt is also one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Habitat Trail leads you past both adventure play areas

 

 

 

and hides huge play sculptures.

 

 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic, hire a barbecue or eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Picnic tables, barbecue hire, cafe, ice creams, drinks, snacks, toilets, accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: November 2022
Information Checked: February 2025

 

The play equipment includes:

• wooden climbing frames
• two slides
• a fireman’s pole
• nets  
• ropes
• wobbly bridges
• climbing walls 
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

Playwood Adventure Play Area is the second of Alice Holt’s play areas and is next to the cafe. It is about a five minute walk from Timberline Play Area.

 

 

 

It has play equipment that includes:

• a large wooden climbing frame with a slide, tunnels, towers with easy to climb stairs, nets, a fireman’s pole and ladders
• a smaller wooden climbing frame for younger children with a slide, a bridge, a fireman’s pole and easy to climb stairs
• a wooden hut with a rope
• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• an accessible roundabout
• picnic tables
• seats to sit on.

 

 

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest is full of things to do – play trails, cycle tracks, table tennis, orienteering, adventure play areas and even story book characters like the Gruffalo…

 

 

 

Story Book Trails

Alice Holt Forest is one of the venues that hosts story book activity trails based on the books of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

 

 

 

Trails have included The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, The Highway Rat and Zog.  

At the time of writing, there is a Superworm Trail.  

 

 

 

The Timberline Play Trail

The 1km long Play Trail leads you past both adventure play areas

 

 

 

and hides huge play sculptures.

 

Nearest Town: Farnham
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 4LS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic, hire a barbecue or eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Picnic tables, barbecue hire, cafe, ice creams, drinks, snacks, toilets, accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a large car park.
Cost of Parking: Various, starting from £3 for one hour. 

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds, insects and the odd story book character.

Information Written: November 2022
Information Checked: February 2025

 

The play equipment includes:

• basket swing
• a climbing wall
• rocks to climb on
• a zip wire
• a spinning seesaw
• a large spinning seesaw (which was fenced off)
• a spinning disc
• picnic tables.

 

Nearest Town: Ash Vale, near Aldershot
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU12 5AA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: Picnic tables

How Long We Spent There: 2.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

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

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds and insects.

Information Written: June 2021
Information Checked: June 2024

 

The Paths

Most of the paths through the nature reserve are buggy friendly and easy to walk on.

There are a few paths that are wilder too, like this path through the meadow.

 

 

To find the Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path. follow one of the paths next to the play area, heading away from the car park.

 

 

 

Lakeside Nature Reserve Play Area

Next to the lake and the car park is the Lakeside Nature Reserve Play Area.

 

The play equipment includes:

• basket swing
• a climbing wall
• rocks to climb on
• a zip wire
• a spinning seesaw
• a large spinning seesaw (which was fenced off)
• a spinning disc
• picnic tables.

 

Nearest Town: Ash Vale, near Aldershot
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU12 5AA

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic. 
Facilities: Picnic tables

How Long We Spent There: 2.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a good-sized car park.
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, geese, woodpeckers, hedgehogs, tadpoles, frogs, birds and insects.

Information Written: June 2021
Information Checked: June 2022

 

The Ash Embankment Aqueduct

Built in 1994, the Ash Aqueduct carries the Basingstoke Canal over the A331 dual carriageway and the River Blackwater.

 

 

 

Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path leads underneath the aqueduct and from down below it looks like a normal road bridge.  

 

 

 

This makes climbing the bridge and discovering a canal a stunning surprise, especially on a sunny day.

 

 

 

 

Blackwater Valley Path Section 3: Shawfields to Hollybush Pits

This is 2 miles long and starts at Shawfields or Rowan Field. 

 

 

 

 

Ivy Road Recreation Ground is a convenient place to park near Shawfields.  

 

 

 

Follow the path across the field to a small bridge and turn left onto the Blackwater Valley Path.

 

 

 

The path will lead you over footbridges

 

 

 

 

up to the Basingstoke Canal

 

 

 

 

past Lakeside Nature Reserve Adventure Play Area

 

 

 

 

over a couple of roads you need to cross with care

 

 

 

 

through narrow paths lined with brambles and stinging nettles 

 

 

 

 

along the river

 

 

 

 

finally ending at North Camp railway station

 

 

 

 

and the Old Ford Pub.

 

 

 

 

 

Carrington Recreation Ground

We continue on for a couple of minutes to play at Carrington Recreation Ground, which is also where we park.

 

 

 

 

The River Blackwater

Along Section 3 of the path, the River Blackwater starts to feel like a fully sized river complete with weeds waving in the currents.

 

 

 

River access becomes very difficult because of the wild vegetation growing alongside. 

 

 

 

 

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.  

 

 

The Paths Along Section 3

The paths along Section 3 are generally flat with a few gentle inclines and easy to use.  

 

 

 

 

The paths after Lakeside Nature Reserve can be very narrow, overgrown and muddy with patches of stinging nettles and brambles. 

 

 

 

There is hard surfacing that is said to suitable for wheelchairs, pushchairs and bikes.

 

 

 

 

We have all used scooters along this section between Shawfields and Lakeside Nature Reserve without too much difficulty, although the surface can be uneven in places and there are often stones or branches to dodge.

 

 

But the path around Hollybush Pits does not feel like it is surfaced. In some areas it has large chunks of rock and brick sticking out of the ground. This wasn’t a problem for a bike but I have taken a scooter this way before and couldn’t use it. 

We now don’t take scooters beyond Lakeside Nature Reserve.

 

Would We Go Back?

We probably wouldn’t go back to the whole of Section 3 of the Blackwater Valley Path because of the paths around Hollybush Pits.

Instead, we follow a different and circular route!

 

 

A Circular Alternative!

We often cycle along the first half of Section 3, beginning at Ivy Road Recreation Ground and cycling for about ten minutes to the Ash Aqueduct.

 

 

From here we either follow the Basingstoke Canal tow path

 

 

 

 

to Ash Vale for an ice cream, which takes another ten minutes.

 

 

 

 

From Ash we cycle back to the aqueduct and rejoin the Blackwater Valley Path North and cycle to Lakeside Nature Reserve Adventure Play Area, which is about a five minute cycle from the aqueduct.

 

 

After Lakeside Play Area we cycle back to the aqueduct and then Ivy Road, which takes about 20 minutes.

 

 

 

 

Where to Next?

Upstream – Section 2:  Pea Bridge to Shawfields

 

 

 

 

Downstream – Section 4:  Hollybush Pits to Coleford Bridge

 

 

Nearest Town: Ash, Ash Vale, North Camp
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode for Shawfields/Ivy Road: GU12 4XG
Nearest Postcode for Hollybush Pits/Carrington Recreation Ground: GU12 5PG

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: None

How Long We Spent There: 3 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly up to Lakeside Nature Reserve but can be harder going afterwards. 

Parking: To park near Shawfields, we go to Ivy Road (GU12 4XG) – drive past the waste recycling centre and turn left next to the sign for Belle Vue Enterprise Centre. To park near Hollybush Pits, we go to Carrington Recreation Ground (GU12 5PG).
Cost of Parking: Free

Wildlife You Might See: Kingfishers, birds, badgers, lizards, ducks, moorhens, coots, Canada gees, butterflies and other insects.

Information Written: May 2024

 

The Play Area for Younger Children

The first play area is for younger children up to the age of 12 years and has:

• a sand play area
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• a seesaw
• a play house
• spinners
• a roundabout and
• an entertaining multiplay with three slides, nets, a climbing wall, fireman’s poles, binoculars, a loud hailer and an easy access ramp.

 

The Play Area for Older Children

The second play area is for older children and has:

• various swings
• a basket swing
• an obstacle course
• a climbing pole
• a rope climbing frame
• a trampoline
• a much larger slide that can be reached by climbing ropes, a climbing wall or a ladder and
• picnic tabes.

 

Sports Grounds

Also at the park are football, rugby and cricket pitches.

 

 

 

 

Scooters and Bikes

A scooter track runs through the play area.

 

 

 

 

 

There is also a surfaced path that runs around the outside of the play area and past the lake, which you can cycle or scooter along. 

 

 

 

The Lake

Around the outside of the play areas is a fishing lake with ducks, swans and geese. 

 

 

 

 

Parkside’s Cafe in the Park

There are also picnic tables, public toilets and Parkside’s Cafe in the Park, a cafe run by a local charity.

 

 

 

 

Blackwater Valley Path

If you fancy a walk then head over the playing fields towards the River Blackwater and the Blackwater Valley Path where we found butterflies, ducks and caterpillars.

 

 

 

Aldershot Park is on Section 2 of the Blackwater Valley Path. 

 

Nearest Town: Aldershot
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU12 4BP

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at Parkside’s Cafe in the Park. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, and accessible toilets. 

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

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

Wildlife You Might See: Ducks, swans and Canada geese.

Information Written: March 2017
Information Checked: May 2024

 

Ninja Warrior UK

Based on the TV series, the park has several sections – an inflatable course

 

 

 

 

Mount Sasuke

 

 

 

 

 

and the obstacle course, which ends with The Wall.  

 

 

 

 

 

Can You Beat the Wall?

The Wall is just like at the end of the TV course – you have to run up it as far as you can and then pull yourself up the rest of the way. 

 

 

 

We have always found the staff friendly and ready to offer technique tips so everyone has a good chance of making it to the top. 

 

 

 

 

Mini Ninja Soft Play

These are also sessions run away from the main area for children aged 0 to 3 plus an adult.  

Nearest Town: Guildford
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU1 1DQ

Opens: Daily

Adult Cost: Various – depending on the session you choose. 
Child Cost: Various – depending on the session you choose. 
Free if: You aren’t taking part. 

Where to Eat: Eat at the cafe. 
Facilities: Cafe, snacks, ice creams, toilets, accessible toilets.

How Long We Spent There: 1.5 hours
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There is a car park but it can be busy.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: August 2023
Information Checked: May 2024

 

The play equipment includes:

• a tractor to play on
• a wooden house with a slide, climbing wall, fireman’s pole and ladder
• a zip wire
• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• a spinning, rope climbing frame
• a balance course and
• a picnic table.

 

Next to the play area is a small football pitch with a two goals.

 

Nearest Town: Tilford
County: Surrey
Nearest Postcode: GU10 2AB

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: Picnic tables

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour
Buggies: Buggy friendly

Parking: There are parking spaces next to the play area.
Cost of Parking: Free

Information Written: June 2017
Information Checked: February 2023

 

The Play Equipment

The play equipment is said to be for children up to 14 years and includes:

• swings
• toddler swings
• a basket swing
• a tyre swing
• an accessible roundabout
• a climbing frame for older children
• equipment that spins, springs and slides
• a rope climbing frame
• a multiplay with a small slide and bridge
• an accessible multiplay with a slide
• a bendy slide with easy to climb steps and a climbing wall
• a seesaw springer
• a cup spinner
• a slide for younger children shaped like a cannon and with easy to climb steps
• musical instruments
• a picnic table
• seats. 

 

 

Sports Facilities

Next to the play area is a multi-gym, toilets

 

 

 

 

and a field.

An ornamental pond is only a short walk away. 

Nearest Town: Farnborough
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: GU14 6RE

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic.
Facilities: Picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

How Long We Spent There: 1 hour
Buggies: Buggy friendly

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

Information Written: July 2022