Alice Holt Forest Walk & Map

In the mood for a forest walk? The Alice Holt Forest walk is perfect for that. With family or friends, discover the wonderful Alice Holt Forest and its variety of trails, ideal for a day out with the kids or for grown-ups wanting a break from the city. Let’s hop into the rabbit hole and uncover Alice Holt Forest’s wonderland!

Have you ever heard of the Gruffalo trail?

No?

This is what drove me to get to Alice Holt Forest in the first place. The Gruffalo trail on Horsenden Hill in Perival became one of my favourite walks in West London. So of course I wanted to experience another one of these trails, searching for the big monster in the forest.

Unlike Horsenden Hill, the Alice Holt Forest has much more to offer than just the Gruffalo trail making it a perfect spot for a family day out.

So let’s dive into it!

Disclaimer: Some hiking groups may offer the same or similar walks to the Alice Holt Forest If you are interested in joining a hiking group, please check here.

All You Need to Know about Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt is not in Wonderland even though it is close to it with so many things to see and discover in this forest.

Logistics of the Alice Holt Forest Walk

If you want to make a trip to Alice Holt Forest, here is a walk you can do through the woods and onto the Gruffalo Trail.

Highlights of the Alice Holt Forest Walk

Alice Holt Forest Walk

So now we covered the essential information, let’s get to the walk!

Disclaimer: London-based hiking groups may offer day hikes in Alice Forest following a much longer trail. You can find more information about these groups here. All pictures are mine, with the exception of the book cover picture as mentioned below.

The Shipwrights Way

Our walk starts at the village of Bentley, Hampshire, railway station. The 2300 acres of the village were the location of the docu-series The Village, in the 1990s.

Come out of the train station and enter the forested area in front of you. The Alice Holt Forest is really well indicated. The trail going across the forest is called the Shipwrights Way.

What is the Shipwright Way?

It is a 50-mile (80.46 km) long trail linking towns and villages from Alice Holt Forest to Portsmouth through the beautiful Hampshire countryside. The route is composed mainly of permissive paths and a few roads. It is suitable for walkers, cyclists and horse riders.

The trail passes through the following towns and villages:

• Bordon, East Hampshire
• Liphook, East Hampshire
• Liss, East Hampshire
• Petersfield, East Hampshire
• Buxton, East Hampshire
• Havant, Hampshire
• Hayling Island, Hampshire

Alice Holt Arboretum

At the entrance of the forest, you walk past the Butterfly Meadow and a little further down, the Alice Holt Arboretum. The project of the Arboretum started in the 1950s led by scientists based at the Alice Holt Lodge Research Station. The Arboretum is home to a worldwide collection of trees, some of them being endangered in the wild. Diverse wildlife can be found at the Arboretum such as badgers, deer and rare butterflies.

The Arboretum fell to decay in the 1980s and was closed. A large-scale program of rehabilitation took place to give the Arboretum a second shot at life. It is now a ground for recreational walks, the trees being labelled which makes it easy for the visitors to learn more about them. The paths are accessible for wheelchair users and the site has a designated picnic area.

Continue your stroll through the woodlands. If you are doing this walk during the autumn season (which I highly recommend), you will be amazed by the colours of the trees as you walk alongside the path.

At the end of the path, cross over the Main Road and you arrive at the Alice Holt Forest.

Alice Holt Forest

Alice Holt Forest is a Royal Forest stretching across 2,142 acres (867 ha). Located in Hampshire it became part of the South Downs Regional Park when the latter was established on 31st March 2010.

Why the name Alice Holt?

There are many theories regarding where the name Alice Holt comes from. The most plausible one is that the name derives from Ælfsige who was the Bishop of Winchester in AD 984 and had rights over the forest. Over the years, his name had different variants until it became Alice Holt in the fourteenth century.

Archaeological research has shown that the site of the forest was settled during the Palaeolithic. The site fell under Roman domination and many pieces of pottery made of the grey sand from the region were excavated.

There are not many references to the forest during medieval times, and it is not until the 1770s that the site started playing a major role. Originally an oak forest, the Royal Navy used its wood to build ships. An attempt to replant oaks was made in 1815 but the trees were destroyed during WWI. Conifers have replaced the fallen oaks.

The Gruffalo Trail

Walk across the woodlands alongside the path leading to the Visitor Center. Here starts the Gruffalo Trail.

But who is this Gruffalo we are looking for in the forest?

The Gruffalo is a character from the best-selling children’s book of the same name. Written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler, the book tells the story of a mouse wandering in the forest who scares away potential predators by warning them about her imaginary friend, the monstrous Gruffalo! But it turns out he is real and when she meets him, a friendship begins.

The book was published in 1999 and 1.5 million copies were sold. A sequel came out in 2004 followed by an animated movie in 2009. You can also find Gruffalo products, a ride at the Chessington Entertainment Park and 15 trails across various woodlands in the UK.

The Trail

After the visitor centre, turn left on Hardings Road and then take the first footpath on your right. Follow the path and you will meet with the Squirrel, the snake and the Gruffalo.

Disclaimer: Please note that the Squirrel sculpture had been removed from its pedestal when I visited the forest.

Continue walking on the edge of the forest and enter the Den!

No, it is not as scary as it might seem. In this part of the forest, our little ones can put their building skills to the test and make a den with branches.

When you reach the end of this path, make a U-turn to go back into the forest. Walk back towards the Visitor Center and take a left just before reaching Hardings Road. Further down this path, you will encounter the mouse. Continue straight and you find the Stick Man.

Walk back to the main path and then to Hardings Road. Once at the Visitor Center, you can follow the same trail to go back to Bentley Station.

Have a safe trip back to London!

Alice Holt Forest Walk Map

Do you want to do the same walk? Simply download the map by clicking on the button below. If you are unsure how to upload the map onto your navigation app, follow my step-by-step guide here.

Final Thoughts about the Alice Holt Forest Walk

If you like a good Gruffalo hunting trail, why not try the London-based Gruffalo trail at Horsenden Hill? Find out all the information that you need about Horsenden Hill on my walking guide here.

Like the South Downs? There are so many walks you can do in the South Downs National Park. Discover places and landmarks such as the National Trust Winkworth Arboretum, the Arundel Castle, the Ditchling Beacon and the picturesque Seven Sisters cliffs with this selection of hikes in the South Downs.

And you, have you ever been on a Gruffalo trail? Let me know about your experience in the comment box below.

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