Rockford Common
On this walk, children will enjoy the huge natural sand pit as well as the ford and New Forest ponies.
The Basics
Time: 35 minutes
Distance: 2 km
Terrain: Heathland with well maintained and even paths
Pushchair: Yes, on the common and around the ford
Dogs: Yes, be aware of livestock
Refreshments: Picnic by the ford or the Alice Lisle Pub is a short drive away
Toilets: None
Parking: Free National Trust car park (Postcode: BH24 3LZ - W3W - paradise/waltzed/cracker)
At the far western edge of Hampshire is this must do walk for families with a huge sandpit to explore, a ford to paddle in and plenty of New Forest ponies.
The Route
Before you begin your walk, children will no doubt want to play in the enormous sand pit right beside the car park. The sand hill was once a quarry, but now makes a great place to play. Also close to the car park is a lovely ford across the river where the shallow water makes a good place to paddle. You can picnic on the banks by the river and there is usually an ice cream van in attendance.
To get up onto the common, leave the car park heading up hill. Take the track with the barrier. At the top of the hill, you will arrive at Rockford Common.
Continue straight along the path in front of you. Soon the views will open up to your left. This area is a aglow with purple heather in late summer. Follow this path until you reach a point where a few different paths converge. Take a hairpin turn and head along the first path to your right.
You should now be heading back towards the car park. Chose the right hand path at a fork and then go right again at the next opportunity. This will take you around the right hand side of a fenced cottage. The path goes under trees here and widens to an access drive.
Continuing along this track, you will arrive back on the road that leads to the car park.
There are plenty of paths around the wide open space of the common and you should be able to easily navigate your own route around whilst keeping a view back to the car park in the distance.
We recommend viewing the map as a Trails Map:
Did you know?
A pillow mound is visible on this route to your left as you cross the common. Pillow mounds were used for keeping rabbits during the Medieval period. The mounds were long, low, flat-topped earthworks and clusters are spread over the common.