New Forest Reptile Centre
Children will enjoy the reptiles and sensory trail on this walk.
The Route
Time: 30 minutes
Distance: 1.6 km
Terrain: Prepared paths, one slightly muddy section, flat
Pushchair: Yes
Dogs: Yes
Refreshments: Picnic tables on a lawn and often an ice-cream van in attendance
Toilets: Yes
Parking: Reptile Centre Parking off Lyndhurst Road, free (Postcode: SO43 7GR - W3W: degrading/recorders/styled)
If you are coming to The New Forest with children, then you will not want to miss this walk. It begins at The New Forest Reptile Centre, which is a free to enter exhibit (£3 suggested donation), where children can view some of the UK’s native reptile species in a series of ‘pods’. We saw a smooth snake, adders, common lizards, slow worms, sand lizards and natterjack toads.
The Route
After learning about the reptiles, there is a short discovery trail through the forest that encourages children to focus on their senses and the wildlife around them. You can pick up the accompanying trail leaflet from the visitor centre.
*Note, the reptile centre is open daily during school holidays and some bank holidays 10:30 - 3:30.
To follow the walk, begin by going up the wide forest track to the right of the picnic area. Follow the red arrows in a short loop through the forest. It is very well marked and easy to follow, so maps and additional directions are not necessary.
Children will find a wooden telescope, reclining benches where they are encouraged to look-up and listen, a pond with large wooden frog, a circle of logs where they learn about tree rings and a walkway of plaques featuring some of the local wildlife.
Did you know?
The UK Has six species of native reptile; the grass snake, the adder, the common lizard, the sand lizard, the slow worm and the smooth snake.
Slow worms are not worms - or snakes. They are legless lizards.