Micheldever Wood
Children will enjoy exploring acres of open access ancient woodland on this walk, some interesting archeological features and the spectacle of the bluebells in Spring.
Micheldever Wood is probably the best known site for finding bluebells in Hampshire
The Basics
Time: The Family Trail will take around 20 minutes, the Archaeological Trail will take around 45 minutes
Distance: The Family Trail is less than 1km, the Archaeological Trail is around 2.7km
Terrain: Mostly flat and well surfaced paths on the Family Trail, less well surfaced and sometimes muddy paths on the Archaeological Trail
Pushchair: Yes - many of the forestry tracks are well surfaced so you can pick your own route through the woodland
Dogs: Yes
Refreshments: None, but there is a picnic area with tables
Toilets: None
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location
Parking: Free car park off Northington Lane, which does fill up in peak bluebell season but usually has enough space the rest of the year (Postcode: SO24 9UB - W3W: helped/keep/bandstand)
Just north of Winchester, this ancient beech woodland is one of the finest places in Hampshire to enjoy Spring bluebells. The rest of the year, you can enjoy the archaeological trail, the colours of autumn and the resident muntjac deer population.
The Route
In the car park, you will see an information board with details about two marked walks. One is a short Family Trail that is suitable for pushchairs. It will take you past some good bluebell areas and end at the picnic site.
The second trail is the Archaeological Trail which goes further into the woods and passes Bronze Age earthworks, Iron Age enclosures and a burial mound. The route is very well sign-posted from the car park, so we will not include detailed instructions here. This walk is not suitable for pushchairs through the middle section, but could be adapted by missing this bit out. In peak bluebell season, we recommend this walk as it will take you further away from the crowds.
There is a small picnic area in a clearing by the car park.
The information boards mention a play area, but the equipment has been removed. There is a DIY rope swing and some branch dens which can be found on the Family Trail.
Did you know?
The archaeological features, preserved for many centuries by the woodland, include:
A Bronze Age cross dyke which is thought to mark a territorial boundary.
A linear earthwork running west–east across the wood.
Two banjo enclosures which are regarded as dwelling places or stock enclosures of the Iron Age.
In the 1840s a hoard of more than 1400 Roman coins of the late fourth century were found and a field survey in 1992 recorded the remains of an L-shaped villa and associated buildings.
You can view some of these on the marked archaeological trail.
If you liked this walk…
…try this one at Blackwood Forest which is a nearby forest, also with lots of bluebells and is less well known.
