Ringwood Walks

9 miles (14.5 km)

This circular walk from Ringwood takes you to some of the highlights of the area. You'll visit the lovely Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve and the expansive Rockford and Ibsley Commons where there are miles of nice trails to try.
The walk starts from the car park in the town centre near the tourist information centre and Bickerley Common. From here you can pick up the Avon Valley Path and follow it north through the town to Blashford Lakes. There's a series of nice footpaths to follow around the site which includes several pretty lakes and a number of bird hides. From here you can look out for many different types of bird including woodpecker, nuthatch, grey heron, great crested grebe, coot and sand martin.
After exploring the lakes the walk then enters the adjacent Ibsley and Rockford Commons. There's miles of heathland and woodland trails here with pretty heather, gorse and grazing New Forest Ponies to see here. After rounding the woodland inclosures on the common the trails return to Blashford where you can pick up the Avon Valley Path and follow it back into Ringwood.
To continue your walking from the town you could pick up the Castleman Trailway and follow it west to Moors Valley Country Park. The expansive park is a great place for mountain biking and walking.
You could also follow the river path north to Fordingbridge or head north west from the town to try more woodland trails in Ringwood Forest.

Ringwood Ordnance Survey Map - view and print off detailed OS map

Ringwood Open Street Map - view and print off detailed map

Ringwood OS Map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Ringwood Open Street Map - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Walks near Ringwood

Blashford Lakes - This walk takes you around Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve and Ibsley Water on the edge of the New Forest
Avon Valley Path - This wonderful river valley footpath takes you from Salisbury to Christchurch on the South Coast.
You start by the magnificent cathedral in Salisbury and head south towards Downton
Rockford and Ibsley Common - This circular walk explores the Rockford and Ibsley Commons in the New Forest
Moors Valley Country Park - Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, is situated in Ashley Heath, on the Dorset/Hampshire border
Castleman Trailway - Travel from Ringwood to Poole along the disused Southampton to Dorchester railway line on this easy cycle and walking route
Fordingbridge - This walk follows a section of the Avon Valley Path from the Hampshire town of Fordingbridge to Ibsley.
Avon Heath Country Park - This is a short, easy walk around the delightful Avon Heath Country Park near Ringwood
Verwood - This Dorset town is a nice place to start a walk with extensive woodland and heathland to explore

Pubs/Cafes

The Fish Inn is a good choice for some post walk refreshments in the town. The charming thatched inn dates back to the 16th century and is located in a lovely spot next to the River Avon. There's a�cosy interior with traditional rustic pub charm, complete with wooden floors, beams and log burners. If the sun is shining then the large, riverside garden is an ideal place to relax after your exercise. You can find the historic Tudor pub at postcode BH24 2AA for your sat navs.

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Just to the north west is the neighbouring town of Verwood. Here you can enjoy a walk around Verwood Forest, the Cranborne Common Nature Reserve and the Stephen's Castle Nature Reserve where there's a lovely viewpoint.