Alice Holt Forest
Children will enjoy the multiple woodland play areas, an open access forest to explore and the Gruffalo trail on this walk.
The Basics - The Play Trail
Time: 30 minutes for the play trail (but add lots of time for stops)
Distance: 1.45 km
Terrain: Mostly flat, a few gentle inclines, wide and well surfaced forest paths
Pushchair: Yes
Dogs: On leads
Refreshments: Alice Holt Café and picnic areas
Toilets: Yes, at the visitor centre
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)
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. Facilities are excellent at the park, but if you want to add to your day even further, we now have details below of a nearby private hire swimming pool!
This route describes the play trail, popular with families and best accessed by parking at the visitor centre during normal operating hours. Scroll down to see an alternative if you fancy walking in the forest early morning or in the evening.
The Route - The Play Trail
Much of the time Alice Holt Forest hosts trails themed around Julia Donaldson stories. In 2024 the latest trail is based on The Gruffalo. You can buy an activity pack from the visitor centre for £4 which includes an activity booklet to complete at various positions around the trail and usually a few extras. The trail is very well signposted and passes all of the play areas and structures as well as the Gruffalo sculptures. You do not need to be using the trail pack to follow it and find the play equipment.
Start out from the visitor centre with the play area to your left and the table tennis table to your right and follow the path forking left. Go straight ahead, passing the squirrel from The Gruffalo and then the mouse. Follow the path as it bends right. Go straight ahead and then fork left, crossing a large path to then reach the next play area in a woodland clearing. You will see a sculpture of The Gruffalo’s Child on your left.
Pass the play area on your left and exit along the path straight ahead. Here you will find the Gruffalo sculpture.
Pass the sculpture and then head left to go downhill along a wide forest path. At the bottom of the hill, you will find a play structure constructed of large hollow tubes.
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 doormouse play structure with wooden ‘nests’ on stilts.
Continue straight and in just a fee metres you will reach the woodpecker play structure with a tower designed to be like a hollowed out tree.
A little further along this trail you will find the huge owl play structure has now sadly been removed.
Follow the path as it goes uphill and over the stream again. Go straight on at the crossroads and then right at the next fork. You will emerge from the trees beside the Go Ape kiosk and at the far end of the main car park.
You can find a map of this one and the other walking trails at the forest using this link
Forest Pool is a privately owned, indoor heated swimming pool in Rowledge, just on the edge of the forest. From roughly May to October, 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, swim and then walk directly into the forest. This is also a great option if you fancy visiting the forest ‘out of hours’. The route is detailed below.
The Basics - The Forest Pool and ‘Out of Hours’ Trail
Time: 1 hour 15 mins
Distance: 4 km
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: Yes for the there and back, no for the circular
Dogs: On leads
Refreshments: Alice Holt Café - check opening times and picnic areas
Toilets: At the visitor centre - check opening times
Parking: This option includes a free car park at the end of Church Lane in Rowledge (Postcode: GU10 4EN - W3W: asteroid/differ/slugs)
The Route - The Forest Pool and ‘Out of Hours’ Trail
Park at the free forestry car park at the end of Church Lane in Rowledge. The trail starts at the end of this car park.
If you want to book a swim at The Forest Pool, please follow this link.
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, regular visitors to the forest and the play trail will spot a familiar junction. You will see just ahead on your right is a picture board of the Gruffalo and some stick dens.
The path to your right at this junction will lead you to the woodpecker and dormouse play structures but continue straight ahead at this junction to find the wooden play tubes. After the tubes, keep going straight up the hill.
At the brow of this hill, you will see a play trail marker directing you right and it is along this path that you will find 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 play trail path past more of the characters from the story. This path will lead you to the visitor centre.
At the centre you will find a café, toilets, bike hire, shop, 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 or prefer simple routes, return the way you came. For those wanting a more adventurous alternative home, continue to point 8!
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 keep follow the purple arrow markers throughout.
When you reach the end of the Long Mile Ride after and uphill climb, as marked on this map, you can either turn left and explore the pond or go straight ahead to return directly to the car park.
Did you know?
Contrary to expectations, the forest is not actually named after a woman called 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.
