The River Meon, which children and dogs can access at the water meadows, flows through the large village of Wickham. Our walk follows a section of the Meon Valley Trail and passes by this popular spot.

A delightful country walk connecting Swanmore and Soberton with sections beside The River Meon and along The Meon Valley Trail.

We went looking for a walk in The New Forest that would celebrate the late summer heather of the heathlands and this is what we found. Add in a trip to nearby Burley for an excellent day out in the national park.

Starting out on the disused railway track of the Meon Line, this walk then circles round to the riverside village of Warnford where children can play and paddle at the rural park.

This is a gem of a walk starting out beside a beautiful old village church (and pub!) with access to The River Meon via a peaceful little nature reserve.

Start this walk with an exploration of the palace grounds and you will find there is still plenty remaining of this once grand residence. The walk then heads along a disused railway, across farmland and back to the town’s pond.

For this walk, we gave the legs a rest and took our bikes and scooters as the old railway line beside the River Rother is flat and even making is suitable for wheels as well as feet.

A there and back again walk along an old railway track and a path that crosses over gently flowing tributaries of The River Test. The shallow crystal clear waters are perfect for a cooling paddle.