Alice Holt Forest
Farnham
Children will enjoy the multiple woodland play areas, an open access forest to explore and the Gruffalo trail on this walk.
Huge, hollow tubes are part of one of the woodland play trail features
The Basics - The Play Trail
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 1.8 km / 1 mile
Terrain: Mostly flat, a few gentle inclines, wide and firm forest paths.
Pushchair: This route is suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.
Refreshments: Alice Holt Café and picnic areas.
Toilets: There are toilets opposite the visitor centre.
Public Transport: Take the number 18 bus (between Aldershot and Haslemere) and get off at the stop after the petrol station in Bucks Horn Oak.
Parking: There is plenty of parking but it does fill up quickly on weekends and school holidays. Parking is pay on departure by card and will cost you £3 for the first hour up to £12 for all day during weekends and school holidays (Postcode: GU10 4LS - W3W: ///recap.vocally.udder)
Look for the Gruffalo and friends sculptures on the play trail
Alice Holt Forest is an extremely popular location for a variety of outdoor pursuits from high ropes courses to mountain biking. For the littlest explorers, there are multiple woodland play areas and Forestry England regularly host trails here based around Julia Donaldson stories. One of the newest highlights is a giant marble run.
The Route - The Play Trail
The marble run has six stations positioned along the play trail. You will need to buy a wooden ball costing £8 (two for £15) from the visitor centre.
Usually during school holidays, themed trails are added to the play trail for which you can buy an activity pack from the visitor centre.
Start out from the visitor centre with the play area to your left and the table tennis to your right and follow the path that forks off to the left to begin the trail. Almost immediately, pass the squirrel from The Gruffalo and then the mouse and the fox. Follow the path as it bends right and pass the Nets Adventure to your right, as well as the owl and the snake. After the snake, fork left, crossing a large path to the next play area in a woodland clearing. You will see a sculpture of The Gruffalo’s Child on your left. The first marble run is beside the play area.
Pass the play area on your left and walk past the adult Gruffalo sculpture. Turn left at the next junction and walk downhill along a wide forest path. On your left-hand-side, you will pass the second, and longest, marble run.
At the bottom of the hill, you will find a large hollow tubes to play in and the third marble run. Pass the tubes on your left and go over the stream.
Continue up the slight rise and then turn left at the next turn. You will shortly find the dormouse play structure with wooden ‘nests’ on stilts. Keep straight and in just a few metres you will reach the owl marble run and a trim trail along the the left hand side of the path.
A little further along this path, you will find the fifth, ‘musical’, marble run, just as the path bends to the left. Follow the path downhill and over the stream again. Go straight on at the crossroads and bear left at the next fork.
You will pass under the last marble run with a section that goes over your head. After this, keep walking up the path to find yourself back at the woodland play area, from where you can retrace your steps to the visitor centre.
Rowledge to Alice Holt
Forest Pool is a privately owned, indoor heated swimming pool in Rowledge, just on the edge of the forest. The family rent out their beautiful pool by the hour to the public. It is possible to make use of free forest parking beside the pool, have a swim and then walk directly into the forest. This is also a great option if you fancy visiting the forest ‘out of hours’ as the parking is open 24/7.
The Basics - Rowledge to Alice Holt
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Distance: 4 km / 2.5 miles
Terrain: Mostly flat and well surfaced paths with one hill for a there and back walk. Add rough paths, steps and more inclines for the circular route.
Pushchair: Pushchairs will manage the there and back walk, but not the circular one.
Dogs: Dogs on leads are welcome.
Refreshments: Alice Holt Café - check opening times if coming late/early, or make use of the picnic areas.
Toilets: There are toilets at the visitor centre which may be closed outside of park opening times.
Public Transport: Stagecoach route 16 connects the village with Farnham and Aldershot.
Parking: Free car park at the end of Church Lane in Rowledge (Postcode: GU10 4EN - W3W: ///asteroid.differ.slugs)
The Route - Rowledge to Alice Holt
If you want to book a swim at The Forest Pool before or after your walk, please follow this link.
Park at the free forestry car park at the end of Church Lane in Rowledge. Follow the path from the parking area into the woodland. The path will lead you straight into the Glenbervie Inclosure of Alice Holt. At the first junction, fork left. After walking along the well surfaced path for around twenty minutes you will reach a junction. Just ahead on your right should be a picture board of the Gruffalo and some stick dens.
Continue straight ahead to find the wooden play tubes. After the tubes, keep going straight up the hill. At the brow of this hill, turn right and you will soon arrive at the woodland play area and the Gruffalo and Gruffalo’s Child sculptures. Take the path out of the play area beside the Gruffalo’s Child and follow the trail past more of the characters from the story and the Adventure Nets course. This path will lead you to the visitor centre.
At the centre you will find a café, toilets, another play area, picnic area and some free outdoor activities like table tennis and badminton. If you plan to do this route outside of normal hours, please check the opening and closing time of the facilities. The play areas and picnic areas remain open 24/7. If you have a pushchair, you will need to return the way you came. For those wanting a circular walk, continue through steps four and five.
Go under the tunnel with the shop to your right and the toilets to your left. Cross the car park in a direct line, going over a series of zebra crossings. On the other side, re-enter the forest and follow the purple signs for the Lodge Pond Trail. This cuts left and right through the forest over rough paths, tree roots and steps and is muddy, even in summer. It is, however, well signposted so for this portion of the walk, keep following the purple arrow markers throughout.
The path eventually straightens out and you reach the end of the Long Mile Ride after an uphill climb, you can either turn left and explore the pond or go straight ahead to return directly to the car park.
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Did you know?
Contrary to expectations, the forest is not actually named after a woman named Alice Holt. The Alice part of the name is most likely to derive from Aelfsige, Bishop of Winchester in 984 AD, who had rights over the forest. The Holt portion of the name comes from the Old English word for a wood or thicket.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try a visit to Moors Valley, which is also managed by Forestry England and has an even more impressive woodland play trail!
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