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 2023

 

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 2023

 

There are two play areas next to the Visitor Centre, which are divided into the Adventure Area, which is for older children, and the Castle and Sandworks area, which is for younger children.

 

The Adventure Area

This 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 equipment here includes:

• 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.

 

The Play Trail

The fantastical Play Trail at Moors Valley Country Park guides you through the woods to a Tree Top Trail and 9 hidden play areas, including the Enchanted Forest, Snake Pit and Hawk House.

 

 

 

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!

Moors Valley is packed full of adventures – trails to try, trees to climb and games to play. 

 

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 between £1.80 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

 

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

 

The Emma Sallis Adventure Playground 

This adventure play area has equipment for children under 12 years old that includes:

• a wooden castle with a climbing wall, nets, a slide and easy to climb stairs
• a multiplay with rope bridges, wobbly bridges, nets, a tunnel, easy to climb stairs and a slide
• balance course
• logs to climb on
• toddler swings
• swings
• a snail springer
• a jeep springer a small multiplay for smaller children with a slide
• a seesaw
• a wooden train
• a slide
• a basket swing
• picnic tables.

 

Alice’s Treehouse is next to Go Ape and is a small play area for much older children.

 

Black Park Country Park

In the country park you can climb through the woods, try a trail, paddle around the lake’s worn and twisted tree stumps, rent bikes and Segways or go orienteering. 

 

 

Go Ape

Go Ape at Black Park offers tree top rope courses, bike hire, Forest Segway and a Nets Adventure. 

 

 

 

The Cafes

There is a lakeside cafe called the Black Park Cafe and a kiosk that sell snacks, drinks and ice creams. It also has picnic tables. 

Nearest Town: Wexham
County: Buckinghamshire
Nearest Postcode: SL3 6DS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at one of the cafes. 
Facilities: Cafes, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

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

Parking: There is a car with lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: From £2.80 for two hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects and lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens, grass snakes.

Information Written: May 2022

 

The Emma Sallis Adventure Playground 

The shady Emma Sallis Adventure Playground has equipment for children under 12 years old that includes a wooden castle with a climbing wall, nets, a slide and easy to climb stairs, 

 

 

 

a multiplay with rope bridges, wobbly bridges, nets, a tunnel, easy to climb stairs and a slide, swings, a wooden train, springers and a balance course.

 

 

Film Locations 

Black Park is located near to Pinewood Studios so it’s no surprise that the park has been used as the location for many films, including Harry Potter, James Bond, Stardust and Captain America.

 

 

 

When we visited they were filming a secret jungle film, which meant some parts of the park were closed.

 

 

 

Go Ape

Go Ape at Black Park offers tree top rope courses, bike hire, Forest Segway and a Nets Adventure. 

 

 

 

The Paths

There are several marked paths and trails to explore, including a habitat trail and an orienteering course.

The Black Park website has full details of the trails and walks.

 

 

Orienteering

There are twenty posts hidden around Black Park – how many can you find?  

You can download a copy of the orienteering course before you go or pick one up from the visitors’ centre. 

 

 

The Cafes

There is a lakeside cafe called the Black Park Cafe and a kiosk that sell snacks, drinks and ice creams. It also has picnic tables. 

 

Nearest Town: Wexham
County: Buckinghamshire
Nearest Postcode: SL3 6DS

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Bring a picnic or eat at one of the cafes. 
Facilities: Cafes, snacks, ice cream, picnic area, toilets, accessible toilets. 

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

Parking: There is a car with lots of spaces.
Cost of Parking: From £2.80 for two hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects and lots of birds, including ducks, swans, coots, moorhens and grass snakes.

Information Written: May 2022

 

The play area is divided into three sections.

 

Ship Play Trail

This is an Infant Play Trail for ages 3 to 6 years that has:

• a galleon with nets, a wheel and a slide
• a second, smaller boat
• springers
• a trampoline
• a train
• a wobbly, wooden hut
• toddler swings
• wobbly bridges
• a climbing wall
• a balance course and
• wobbly balance boards.

 

 

Inclusive Area 

This fully inclusive area has:

• a wheelchair accessible roundabout
• a swing
• a cradle swing
• an accessible slide
• musical instruments
• fun house mirrors
• a basket swing.

 

The Fort 

This is a Junior Play Trail for ages 7 to 11 years that has:

• swings
• climbing walls
• wobbly bridges
• ladders
• balancing logs
• hanging rings and
• a rope climbing frame.

 

Kiosk and Picnic Area

Next to the play area are lots of picnic tables and a kiosk that sells refreshments.

 

 

 

 

Swinley Forest

The play area is next to the Swinley Forest, with cycle routes and various trails.

The Look Out also has a permanent orienteering course and you can buy a map from the reception desk in the Discovery Centre for £1.

 

 

The Look Out Discovery Centre

Inside The Look Out Discovery Centre are over 90 activities including a building site, an indoor stream, a reaction testing game and a range of hands-on science experiments including a hot air balloon to launch and a globe that floats in mid-air. 

Nearest Town: Bracknell
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG12 7QW

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Picnic tables and a cafe.
Facilities: A shop, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a large car park but this gets very busy.
Cost of Parking: From £2 for the first four hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Birds and insects.

Information Written: March 2017
Information Checked: January 2022

 

The Zones

The Discovery Centre is divided into five zones, each looking at a different area of science, nature and engineering.

 

Build It!

In this zone, children can dress up in hi vis jackets and hard hats and then use dumper trucks, wheelbarrows, chutes and pulleys to construct a house from bricks and lay a roof with slates.

 

 

 

Woodland and Water

This area includes an indoor stream with boats, waterfalls and dams and musical pipes to play.

Be sure to bring a change of clothes if you are going to play with the stream, my children get very wet!

 

 

Note that the Build It! and Woodland and Water Zones are inside the centre but somehow open to the air outside. They can both be cold so be sure to bring warm clothing in the winter.

 

 

 

Body and Perception

The centre piece of this zone is a huge magnetic board with moveable pipes and chutes you can arrange to form a ball run.

When the ball reaches the end it is blown back to the start!

 

 

There are also activities like the mysterious treasure chest and an electronic table with games to play

 

 

 

 

and a test your reactions machine!

 

 

 

 

 

Insect Enclosure

There are different animals to see, including a snake, stick insects, cockroaches, toads and leaf cutter ants – one of my favourites!

 

 

 

 

Forces and Movement

Here you can launch a hot air balloon and a rocket, play in a sand video game,

 

 

 

 

investigate space, play a huge piano with your feet, build a bridge, or shop in the mini-supermarket.

 

 

 

 

Light and Colour

Last but certainly not least, this zone has experiments with light and the fun Optimusic, which is an interactive game you play by stepping into light beams.

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe and Kiosk

Inside the centre is a cafe that serves hot and cold food and also a gift shop.

Outside is a kiosk that sells refreshments and lots of picnic tables.

 

 

 

The Adventure Play Areas

The Look Out has two of the bet adventure play areas we have come across – one for ages 3 to 6 years and another for ages 7 to 11 years.

We love the Look Out Discovery Centre Adventure Play Areas and visit regularly.

 

 

The Swinley Forest

The Look Out centre is surrounded by the Swinley Forest, which has cycle trails and three signposted walks to try, including the Heritage Trail, which leads you to an iron age hill fort and the site of a Roman town.

 

 

 

Orienteering

There is also a permanent orienteering course, which you can buy from the reception desk in the Discovery Centre for £1.

Nearest Town: Bracknell
County: Berkshire
Nearest Postcode: RG12 7QW

Adult Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Child Cost Range: £5 to £9.99
Free if: Under 4

Opens: Daily

Where to Eat: Picnic tables and a cafe.
Facilities: A shop, cafe, ice creams, toilets and accessible toilets.

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

Parking: There is a large pay and display car park but this can be very busy.
Cost of Parking: From £3.10 for the first four hours.

Wildlife You Might See: Birds and insects.

Information Written: March 2017
Information Checked: January 2022

 

Play Trail

This adventure play trail has wooden equipment scattered along a woodland walk, including:

• a musical tiger
• animals to climb on
• a snail slide
• a tractor and
• wooden climbing frames with bridges, ropes and climbing walls.

 

 

High Wood Barn Play Area

Next to the cafe is a play area for children up to 8 years. It has equipment that includes:

• a wide slide on a hill
• a tunnel
• a wooden climbing frame
• a wooden pirate ship
• a log balance course
• a jeep springer
• animal springers
• an obstacle course
• puzzle boards and
• seats to sit on.

 

Little Monkeys Play Area

About a five minute walk from the cafe is a second play area for children to the age of 14 years. The equipment includes:

• a slide on a hill with tunnels
• a climbing frame of suspended baskets
• swings
• toddler swings
• a wooden climbing frame
• climbing rocks
• a seesaw
• an obstacle course with wobbly logs, bridges, and rope swings (this is hidden in the woods next to the play area!)
• a spinning hoop
• a basket swing
• a rope climbing frame
• a zip wire and
• seats to sit on.

 

 

Other Activities

As well as playing, there are other things to try, including:

• the Nature Detectives walk, which is a nature trail with information boards and brass rubbing spots. 

 

• a cafe that sells food and drinks and has an indoor play area with educational activities.  

 

• orienteering courses. Maps can be picked up from the Woodland Cafe or from the British Orienteering website.

 

• lots of trails. Have a look at the Itchen Valley Country Park Trail Guide for further details.

 

 

River Itchen

The strange thing about River Itchen Country Park is that you can’t actually get down to the river. 

You can stand on a bridge over the river though. To find it, leave the Woodlands Cafe with the play area on your left and follow the path.  

 

 

Itchen Valley Nature Reserve

If you cross this bridge you can walk through water meadows during the summer and early autumn (it is flooded at other times).

There are water voles, otters and lots of insects living here. 

 

Nearest Town: Southampton
County: Hampshire
Nearest Postcode: SO30 3HQ

Opens: Daily
Cost: Free

Where to Eat: Eat at the cafe, hire a barbecue or bring a picnic.
Facilities: Cafe offering snacks and ice cream, shop, toilets and accessible toilets, picnic areas. 

How Long We Spent There: 4 hours
Buggies: Buggy-friendly.

Parking: There are several different car parks to choose from. 
Cost of Parking: From £1.50 per hour.

Wildlife You Might See: Insects, butterflies, ducks, geese, kingfishers, other birds and deer.

Information Written: July 2020