The New Forest National Park –Walks With The Wildlife
A beautiful day out and unmissable if you are visiting the Forest is a trip to Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary and the Ornamental Drive. A day can easily slip by in this beautiful woodland area with plenty to do for any member of the family.
In case you didn’t know the New Forest National park was once the hunting grounds of the former kings of England, and some of the ancient traditions are still practiced today by the commoners.
On arrival at Bolderwood, just as you have parked your car there is an open air green at the side of the woody area which is ideal for a picnic lunch or just to let off some steam with a game of ball. Soaking up the sun before you set off in to the woodlands or having a locally produced ice cream from the resident ice cream van in the car park.
Just inside the entrance to Bolderwood there is a marvellous woodland area with some picnic and barbeque facilities. You will also find a Forest Ranger manned information centre here which is great for getting advice and answering questions you might have about the forest. There are also some great examples of some of the foliage etc. that you will find during your visit to Bolderwood.
From the Woodland area of Bolderwood you can choose from a selection of walks. One of the walks is the Bolderwood Deer Watch Trail. Throughout the walk you might spot the odd deer in the forest among the trees if you are quiet but if you miss them then you are sure to see some deer in the nearby sanctuary. Here there is a viewing platform and the deer here are a little more used to human prescence so you are bound to catch a glimpse of some deer grazing.
You can take the Jubilee Walk which will take you through the Bolderwood Arboretum which began in the 1800’s. The arboretum is a marvellous display of many types of trees. Many trees were very sadly lost here during storms in the 1987 and again in 1991. Further trees have been planted now and is an ongoing plan to return this part of the forest back to its original glory.
The Radnor Trail is another walk which will take you through this ancient beautiful forest, during this walk you might spot the odd Deer grazing in the distance hiding amongst the many more variety of tree species. There are many suitably placed benches to take a rest for a while and to admire the beauty of the forest surrounding you.
Cycling is a great past time throughout the whole of the forest. Bolderwood is no exception to this and it does in fact form part of the 100 mile New Forest Cycling network. The Bolderwood cycling trail is approximately 7 miles long and can take about 3 and a half hours.
Bolderwood Ornamental drive must be visited either on the way in to Bolderwood or on the way out. The ornamental drive takes you though this marvellous picturesque route around Bolderwood and during the summer it is at its most beautiful. This is a busy fairly narrow windy road however and many hikers and cyclists as well as the wildlife use it too, so take care !
If you are looking for friendly local accommodation visit New Forest cottages for local self catering holiday cottages or New Forest hotels for luxury and hotel accommodation.
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