Wootton Bridge
New Forest
Children will enjoy playing in the wide, shallow river on this walk.
Children will love playing in Avon Water by Wootton Bridge
The Basics
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Distance: 4.6 km / 2.9 miles
Terrain: Mostly flat with one very short hill. Almost all on compacted gravel cycle tracks apart from one section on a grassy track that can be muddy.
Pushchairs: This route is suitable for pushchairs when the ground is firm in dry weather.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk, but keep them on leads around ponies.
Refreshments: There are no refreshments on this walk, but bring a rug and have a picnic by the river.
Toilets: There are no public toilets.
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location.
Parking: Forestry car park at Wootton Bridge, currently free with charges being introduced in late April 2026 (Postcode: BH25 5TZ - W3W: ///ramming.pilots.mows)
Avon Water is wide and shallow as it flows under Wootton Bridge
Wootton Bridge car park is situated beside a wide, shallow section of Avon Water where children can play in the river and picnic on the banks. Our suggested walk then loops you through the woodland of Wootton Coppice Inclosure and Brownhill Inclosure where you will almost certainly spot ponies grazing in the shade of the trees.
The Route
Leave the car park towards the road and then turn right. Walk over Wootton Bridge, taking care of traffic. Take the first compacted gravel path on your right after the bridge, going through the gate into Wootton Coppice Inclosure. Continue straight on the wide cycle track.
Bear right at cycle marker 189. After about ten minutes, you will reach a right turn. Ignore this and immediately after the path will fork. Take the right fork on the better surfaced path. Continue forward at cycle marker 187.
When you come close to the edge of the inclosure, the path will bend upwards to your left. As the path levels out again, you will reach a junction at cycle marker 181, where you should turn left. Continue straight at the next fork.
Go over a bridge at cycle marker 182 and then turn immediately left*. This grassy (sometimes muddy) path will bring you back to the main cycle path, where you should turn right and retrace your steps back to the car park.
*This was an unplanned change to the route I had wanted to do due to a path closure following forestry work. When the path opens again, you will be able to continue straight after the bridge and follow the compacted gravel cycle path until its end. At this point you should bear left and follow the grassier track until it brings you to cycle marker 189. There, you should bear right and retrace your steps back to the gate.
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Did you know?
Avon Water is a small river only nine miles long that rises from the bogs bear Burley and drains into the sea at Keyhaven. Restoration work is being undertaken on sections of it that were once artificially straightened to bring back the natural meander which is better for wetland wildlife and livestock.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this Ober Water Trail, another spot in the New Forest where you can paddle.
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