Blackwater Arboretum Walk in The New Forest is a stunning walk with parking, toilets, and an ice cream van. So perfect walk for children in The New Forest
At the start of the year, I created a large list of places to explore around us. I have been a bit slack at crossing them off, but we wanted to explore somewhere new last weekend. So I got the list out and picked somewhere in The New Forest. Having The New Forest on our doorstep means we are only a 20-minute drive away, and you are on the edge of The New Forest.
So Blackwater Arboretum was our choice! It sounded really interesting, with a sensory trail and a tall tree trail. Perfect for kids, and it sounded like a great place.
Blackwater Arboretum was super easy to find, with a large sign at the entrance and a good-sized car park to park in. The roads leading here are well-maintained, but it’s always worth checking your tyres beforehand, sites like Tyres.co.uk offer helpful tips on making sure you have the right tyres on your car for certain trips. There’s a toilet block, and on the day we visited, an ice cream van too.
There are various places you can take a walk from here, with 2 trails to choose from and different starting points. Check out the map when you arrive. Today I am going to write about The Blackwater Arboretum Heartwood Trail.
You can start this from the main Blackwater Arboretum car park and head through the arched wooden gate up the stony path.
Here you will find a map of the route to take through Blackwater Arboretum. You will find a selection of different types of trees on the route around. Many are trees that I haven’t seen before, or have never even heard of!
With little benches dotted around to sit, look out for the picnic bench, as I only saw one! However, in the drier weather, you could have a nice picnic within the trees. Also, there are plenty of benches and BBQs to hire up at the main car park area.
This trail at Blackwater Arboretum is a sensory trail, the trail takes you through a different selection of trees that all feel very different, look different, and smell. So it was great to let the kids get involved and let them explore.
There are 6 main trees on the trail to find; however, many of the trees are labelled. These 6 have a large name block by them, so nice and easy for the younger kids to find.
Blackwater Arboretum was so peaceful; it wasn’t a long walk, which suited us that day. We probably spent about 1.5 hours walking around there. The kids played with sticks, made fern hairbands, and played some lovely games together.
It wasn’t just the trees they were finding, get them to look on the ground and find things too.
Some of the trees were pretty impressive, they were so tall and I’m not sure my kids have even seen trees that tall before!
It was lovely to start Autumn as the leaves were all changing colour, the floor covered in golden leaves, and with such a mix of trees, it looked so pretty. I can imagine that, whatever time of year it is, Blackwater Arboretum will look stunning and be a lovely place to visit.
You can take your dog too. Gus loved his run through the trees!
We will be back, but next time we will take the Tall Trees Trail and go and explore the trees that have been there since 1859.
Pictures Taken September 2017
Tips For Blackwater Arboretum Walk In The New Forest
- Also, close here to walk is Brock Hill and Puttles Bridge
- Toilets at Blackwater
- Beautiful trees
- Good parking area
- Picnics
- Safe to walk with children
- Dogs allowed, be aware of ponies
34 Comments
What gorgeous photographs of a stunning place. I’ve seen the sign a few times, but never stopped to visit. I definitely will now! #countrykids
Ah thanks! Yes worth a stop, I’ve never heard of it so it was a lovely find for us. We will be back!
Looks like you had a fantastic day out. I love places like this especially as I work in a busy city center so it’s great to have a bit of escapism to the woods!
We love the woods, it is so peaceful to get outside
Looks like a great time. We all love to get off on an adventure into the forests. Lovely photos 🙂
I think kids love the forest, lots of hiding places!
Arboretum’s are fantastic places to visit and great for educating our children. Thank you for sharing your experience. #CountryKids
I don’t think I’ve ever visited one with the kids before, I will be hunting them out now!
What a beautiful place. It’s great they have 2 trails, then if you go back it will be something new to explore x
We will be back for sure!
Great photos, looks like a lovely place to visit. You sort of crave this stuff living in a big city!
Thank you, I bet you do crave it and hunt out places to explore like this
This looks like the perfect place to take autumn photos. We have somewhere similar in Langley.
Yes a perfect Autumn photo place!
Ah such a beautiful part of the world there’s nothing like roaming free in the woods – just looking like this wants to make me get away from my keyboard and out into nature!
The New Forest is stunning, some days I would happily walk around here all day
Pinned! There’s a lot to see on this walk through the autumnal woods, perfect for this time of year. I like it that they label the trees as there are often unusual ones that I’m not sure about! We live near Westonbirt Arboretum and so I’ve never been to Blackwater – it’s on the list now! #Countrykids
Ah just Googled Westonbirt Arboretum and that looks stunning too. We are on holiday near there next year, so thank you!
You photos speak volumes, it looks so beautiful there. I can’t think of a better place for a sensory walk than the New Forest. I’m reading this on the back of seeing a news article today on the benefits of outdoor space for kids and how the old “go and play outside” thing our parents used to say may actually have some real mileage to it – though we already knew this! Kids have a great understanding and love of nature that we somehow forget with age. I love the stick play and fern hairbands, this is how growing up should be.
Thank you for sharing your visit on #CountryKids
Thank you, you are 100% right and it’s so nice to see them playing like it. Simple outdoor play, and something we really try and have at the weekends. Everyone is so much happier
This looks wonderful, we love woodland walks and this trail is beautiful. #countrykids
It’s lovely isn’t it, everyone is happy on a woodland adventure
This looks like a lovely place to explore. I love going on autumn walks as a family x
Something lovely about Autumn walks, the start of some lovely months ahead
What an impressive place, I am not too far from Blackwater Arboretum either and would love to explore one day
Oh yes do visit, very very peaceful place
I love any reason to get the kids outside and explore and places like this are a treasure trove!
They loved exploring and finding the different types of trees
We would love to explore this place. Looks so beautiful. You captured it beautifully.
Thank you, stunning place to photograph
I have driven past but never visited. Added to my half term list
I wouldn’t have realised how lovely it was when driving by, we will be back!
It sounds like you had a wonderful visit. I love the outdoors and green spaces like this. I will add it to my list of places to visit
It was lovely, I can’t wait to go back again