Bolderwood Walks and the Ornamental Drive

Bolderwood is where most families from Lyndhurst first meet the deep forest. From one car park on the Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive, three short waymarked walks loop out through old beech, oak and Victorian conifers to a wooden deer viewing platform that looks over open fields. The longest, the red Radnor Trail, is about 2 miles. The shortest takes a quarter of an hour.

One thing has changed, and plenty of older guides have not caught up. Forestry England now says there is no longer a deer sanctuary or feeding station at Bolderwood, so nobody puts out food to bring the herd in. Fallow deer still live wild in the woods round about and are often seen at quiet times, and the viewing platform is still there, but sightings are down to luck, patience and the time of day. The walking is lovely either way.

Getting to Bolderwood car park from Lyndhurst

The prettiest way in is along the A35 towards Christchurch for about 3 miles, then right at the crossroads onto Bolderwood Arboretum Ornamental Drive. The drive climbs for about 2.5 miles through tall conifers, passing the Knightwood Oak near its start, and Bolderwood car park is close to its far end. The other way in is Bolderwood Road, which runs west from Emery Down to the top of the drive by the car park, then carries on north-west towards the A31. Either way, allow about 15 minutes from the village. The ornamental drive is narrow, unfenced and has no pavement, with a 40 mph limit and ponies that stand in the road, so take it slowly. There is no public transport to Bolderwood.

Bolderwood is a Forestry England car park (sat nav SO43 7GQ) and one of the busiest in the Forest. At the time of writing (autumn 2026) it costs £1.50 for an hour, £3 for two hours, £5 for four hours and £8 for longer. It is one of the few New Forest car parks with a card machine, or you can pay through RingGo (location code 65512) or Forestry England’s pay later option. There are two accessible spaces, and charges apply to blue badge holders too. Parking is allowed from 4am to 11pm. If it is full, Forestry England asks you to use Bratley View or Canadian Memorial car parks along Bolderwood Road, rather than the verges. See our parking guide for how the charges and memberships work.

There are toilets, a big picnic area under the pines and an information point. Forestry England opens the information unit seasonally, in the bank and school holidays, so do not count on it at other times.

The Bolderwood waymarked trails

All the trails start at the top end of the car park, by the information point and picnic tables, through a small gate with a low catch. Each is a circle marked with coloured rings on wooden posts, and each comes back to the car park. Gates stand on both sides of the road wherever a trail crosses the drive. Pick by colour.

The figures are Forestry England’s current ones. Older National Park leaflets give slightly shorter lengths (0.3 miles for the Deer Watch and 1.9 miles for the Radnor), so treat them all as approximate.

Deer Watch Trail (yellow)

The short one. It follows a gravel path with gentle slopes and benches, crosses the drive and finishes at the viewing platform, which looks out over the deer fields and the forest beyond. It is the obvious choice with toddlers, or if you only have half an hour.

Jubilee Trail (blue)

A mile-long loop past the deer fields and some of the area’s older trees, the oldest dating from around 1860. The great storms of 1987 and 1991 flattened many of the big trees here, and you walk through the replanting that followed.

Radnor Trail (red)

The one to do if you have an hour. It passes the Radnor Stone, then runs through sweet chestnut, oak and beech planted in the 1860s and along the edge of Mark Ash Wood, one of the finest stands of old beech in the Forest. It drops down to Bratley Water, a stream that flows south to join the Blackwater, where Norway spruce grow in the damp valley bottom and a bench makes a good picnic stop. Then it climbs back up (one of the two steep bits) and finishes past the deer viewing platform.

Seeing the deer at Bolderwood

The platform overlooks open fields where fallow deer are often seen at quiet times, but they are wild animals with the whole forest to roam, and with no feeding any more nothing is guaranteed. Your best chances come early in the morning, towards dusk, and on quiet weekdays. Bring binoculars and keep your voice down. In summer the fallow wear a chestnut coat with white spots; by winter they turn a duller greyish brown. In October the bucks rut, and their deep, belching groans carry a long way through the trees. That is a good time to visit, but keep well back, since the National Park warns that males can be dangerous in the mating season. Our wildlife watching guide covers the other deer species and where to look for them.

Bolderwood’s history and the Ornamental Drive

There has been a royal presence here for a long time. The earliest record of a royal hunting lodge at Bolderwood dates from 1325, in the reign of Edward II, and the lodge stood until the 18th century. Foresters began planting the arboretum in Victorian times, and some of the Douglas firs south of the car park date from around 1860. The Ornamental Drive runs about 2.5 miles from the car park down to the A35, opposite Rhinefield Ornamental Drive, so you can drive through both arboretums in one go.

Two memorials are worth a few minutes. The Radnor Stone, beside the Radnor Trail, was put up by the Forestry Commissioners in memory of William Pleydell-Bouverie, 7th Earl of Radnor. He chaired the Forestry Commission from 1952 to 1963 and was Official Verderer of the New Forest from 1964 to 1966. About 650 metres north of the car park, on Mogshade Hill, is the Canadian Memorial. On 14 April 1944 a Canadian army chaplain set up a cross of pine logs there, and troops of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, camped in the Forest, held services at it until they left for D-Day. A New Forest oak cross with a plaque now stands in its place, usually decorated with flags and poppies. It is about a 10 minute walk through the woods, or it has its own small car park.

Terrain, mud and accessibility

All three trails are on moderately smooth gravel, so this is one of the cleaner walks in the Forest even in winter, although the ground beside Bratley Water stays soft. The Deer Watch Trail is the accessible option: the National Park describes it as suitable for wheelchairs and mobility scooters, with gentle slopes, though gravel always takes more effort than tarmac and the road crossing needs care. The Jubilee and Radnor trails each have two short, steep slopes that the National Park says may not suit wheelchairs or scooters. A sturdy buggy will manage them. There are frequent places to rest on the longer loops. For other step-free walks, see our accessibility guide.

Walking with dogs at Bolderwood

Forestry England welcomes dogs here. Keep them on a lead in the car park, at the road crossings and near the deer fields. A dog that chases deer can scatter a whole group, and in early summer the does leave their fawns lying hidden in the bracken. If your dog finds one, call it away and leave the fawn alone, because your scent or your dog’s can stop the mother coming back. Ponies and cattle roam freely around Bolderwood, so give them a wide berth, especially mothers with young. Bratley Water on the Radnor Trail gives dogs a drink, but bring water in a dry summer. Bag any mess and take it home if the bins are full. Our dog walks guide has more routes and the full New Forest rules.

Food and drink near Bolderwood

Bolderwood has no café or shop, so bring a picnic and use the tables under the pines. The nearest pub is the New Forest Inn at Emery Down, about 3 miles back towards Lyndhurst along Bolderwood Road. It welcomes dogs in the bar and restaurant and serves food from midday every day (to 9.30pm Monday to Saturday and 9pm on Sunday at the time of writing). Lyndhurst itself is 15 minutes away, with a full list in our cafés guide.

Frequently asked questions

Can you still see deer at Bolderwood?

Often, at quiet times, but there are no guarantees. There is no longer a feeding station, so the fallow deer come and go as they please. Early morning and dusk on a quiet day give you the best odds.

Is Bolderwood free to visit?

The trails and platform are free. The car park is paid, from £1.50 an hour at the time of writing, by card machine, RingGo or pay later.

Which Bolderwood trail is best for small children?

The yellow Deer Watch Trail, about half a mile with gentle slopes and benches, ending at the platform. Confident walkers of five or six usually manage the 1 mile blue Jubilee Trail.

Are there toilets at Bolderwood?

Yes, at the car park, next to the picnic area.

Can I walk from Bolderwood to Mark Ash Wood?

Yes. The red Radnor Trail runs along its edge, and our Mark Ash Wood walk heads into the heart of the beechwood from the same car park.

See where Bolderwood sits on our interactive map. Nearby, try the Knightwood Oak walk at the bottom of the Ornamental Drive, or the level Tall Trees Trail across the A35. Trail updates are on Forestry England’s Bolderwood page.