Roydon Woods
Boldre
Children will enjoy playing in the river at the shallow ford on this walk.
The ford in the river Lymington is a wonderful place for children to play.
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 30 mins (or slightly shorter if you miss the permissive path)
Distance: 5.3 km/3.3 m(or slightly shorter if you miss the permissive path)
Terrain: Mostly flat gravelled paths, some quiet country lanes, one short ascent, an optional diversion on rougher terrain with some mud.
Pushchairs: The main route is suitable for pushchairs, but not the optional diversion.
Dogs: Dogs must be on leads through the nature reserve.
Refreshments: There are no refreshments directly on this walk - we had a picnic sitting on the benches by the church. The nearest pub is The Filly, which you could walk to along a bridlepath from the reserve, although you would need your own map as this is not detailed on our route.
Toilets: There are no public toilets on this route.
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location.
Parking: Free car park behind the St. John the Baptist church near Boldre (Postcode: SO41 5PG - W3W: ///stretch.rehearsed.plot )
Roydon Woods Nature Reserve is a great place to see bluebells.
Roydon Wood Nature Reserve is regarded as one of the best places in the New Forest to see bluebells; they fill the ancient copses and grassy meadows. There is no direct access to the reserve, so our walk starts from the pretty Boldre church and loops around over the Lymington River, where children will want to stop and play in the clear and shallow water.
The Route
Exit the car park via the footpath on the opposite side to the church and walk along the narrow path with pony paddocks to either side. This is probably the toughest section for pushchairs as after this the paths will widen up. When you reach Haywards Farm, turn left onto the wide, light-coloured gravel track.
Continue along this track until you reach a cross path with the entrance to Little Dilton Farm. Veer left, and then left again almost immediately. Follow this path and noticeboards will soon tell you that you are entering Roydon Woods Nature Reserve.
As you walk along the track, you will start to see bluebells all around you in late April/early May. If you are walking with a pushchair, you will want to stay with the same track. If you would like a scenic diversion that takes you deeper into Calveslease Copse past more bluebells, then we recommend taking the permissive path that will come up on your left-hand-side. This diversion will be marked by blue capped posts the whole way, and by following the single path, you will eventually be led back up to the main path once again (be aware it can be muddy in places). Turn left to continue with the route.
The main path will lead down to a ford and bridge crossing the Lymington River. Our children would have quite happily played here all day long! Continue along the track on the other side of the river and pass the attractive Roydon Manor to your right. At the junction, turn left.
The gravelled track will eventually turn to tarmac. At the cross roads, turn left following the signs to Boldre church. Walk up the quiet lane back to your car.
Did you know?
The nature reserve is separate to the open access national park authority managed land and is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The woodland was kindly given to the trust by artists and philanthropist Peter Barker-Mill.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Puttles Bridge, which is another New Forest walk where children can paddle.
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