Walks

Great Picnic spots in Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Basingstoke, Picnic's, Walks 1 Comment

Following lasts week’s post about Great Picnic spots near Basingstoke, I’ve put together my highlights of places to go for picnics in Basingstoke. Have I missed any?

Don’t forget to check out this post: Great Picnic Spots near Basingstoke.

Basing Lime Pits:  The Common opposite Basing Lime Pits

Carpenters Down/Basing Wood

Crabtree

Eastrop Park

Wootten St Lawrence Park

Odiham Castle

Basingstoke Common

Zebon Copse

Beggarwood

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Pushchair Friendly Walks in Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Basingstoke, Walks 0 Comment

If you are itching to get outside and get some fresh air this weekend, the weather looks like it’s going to be glorious. So I’m republishing a post which has details about walks in Basingstoke, including walks which are suitable for pushchairs. I always find the heat is easier when I’m moving, it’s sitting still which makes it worse! Don’t forget those hats and sunscreen!

This is a brilliant website with details of local parks in the area, including many of the ones mentioned below.

PUSHCHAIR WALKS

Basing lime pits

  • Has the coolest train climbing frame ever!
  • Massive slides
  • BBQ facilities
  • Ampitheatre for rounders, baseball, etc.

Crabtree

  • Olivers fish and chips over the road
  • Lovely (!!) view of Basingstoke
  • Great for flying kites
  • Has a fantastic new play area for children aged 8-14 years at the bottom, including a low zip wire and wooden climbing frame
  • A couple of park benches dotted around

Eastrop Park

  • Has toilets on site
  • Boating Lake
  • Fishing lake
  • Swimming pool in summer for little people
  • Assault Course
  • The perfect bridge for pooh sticks!

War Memorial Park

  • Parking is a bit of a nightmare so recommend parking for free at Eastrop or in a town centre carpark
  • Bird Aviary is quite interesting for little people

OTHER WALKS

Carpenters Down

  • Parking is next to Popley Spotlight Centre
  • Used to be National Trust Land
  • Big Hill to Climb to get into most walks
  • Excellent Blackberry picking
  • See my review of Basing Wood from 2013

Basingstoke Common

Otherside of Crabtree

Blackdam Pond

  • Has a play area for children
  • Nice pond to feed the ducks and swans
  • Has a short walk around the park but connects through to Crabtree

Great Picnic Spots near Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Berkshire, Hampshire, Picnic's 0 Comment

I LOVE a good picnic. It’s the simple things that count. A good location, yummy food and nice weather and you have a perfect day ahead of you. It helps that the weather for this week is predicted to be sunny…at last!

You don’t even need to spend much, just grab whatever is in the fridge or cupboard that can be used as finger food and stick it in a lunchbox or rucksack.

It’s a known fact that food eaten outside always tastes so much better than when it’s eaten indoors.

Grab a blanket, pack some suncream, make sure you don’t forget hats or drinks for your children and head off somewhere new. Most of the places below are suitable for pushchairs.

Also check out this post about Great picnic spots in Basingstoke HERE.

Let me know if you enjoy these picnic spots too.

Great Picnic Spots near Basingstoke

Frensham Common, Frensham Great Pond Farnham, Surrey (love it here, but you need an offroad pushchair as a lot of the paths are sandy)
Greenham and Crookham Common, Newbury (love it here too. The cows gave my little one something to laugh at!)
Padworth Common, West Berkshire
Wokefield Common,  Wokefield, Berkshire
Yately Common, Yateley
Hartley Wintney Cricket Ground,  Hartley Wintney
Elvetham Heath pond, Elvetham Heath
Hosehill Lake nature, Reading
California Country Park, Wokingham
Horseshoe Lake, Bracknell
King’s Pond, Alton
Bucklebury Common, Berkshire
Thatcham Reedbeds, Thatcham
Forbury Gardens, Reading
Abbey Ruins, Reading
Heathlake, Wokingham
Christchurch Meadows, Reading
Alice Holt Forest, Nr Alton. See a review on NHM about Alice Holt
Lavell’s Lake, Wokingham
Aldermoors Local Nature Reserve, Wokingham

May 2013: I’ve just found a new picnic spot, which is fab! It’s over in Herriard, about 10 minutes drive from Basingstoke to Alton on the A339.

You pass the sign to Herriard and then take a left signed  to Upton Grey/Weston Patrick. The park and meadow are just on the right.

There are three play areas and a huge meadow which my toddler loved running around. It’s great for a picnic as there are a few trees so you can get some shade in the sun.

Are there any other great picnic spots in the area that you would like to share?

 

Local Parks and Open Spaces

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Basingstoke, Exercise, Outings, Picnic's, Walks, Wellbeing 1 Comment

I stumbled across this website whilst I was researching this weeks “things to do” post. As the weather was so fabulous this weekend I was researching things to do outside and this website popped up with a list of Local Parks and Open spaces in Basingstoke.

I learnt of a few new places, such as Beggardwood Park which has a maze and ampitheatre, that I didn’t know about that I’m hoping to be able to investigate when Spring really kicks in. Hope you find useful.

Local Parks and Open Spaces

Related Posts

Pushchair Friendly Walks in Basingstoke

Pushchair Friendly Walks near Basingstoke

Pushchair Friendly Walks Near Basingstoke

Posted by Louise NorthHantsMum on in Children, Walks 0 Comment

Great Picnic Spots near Basingstoke

Farley Mount – Winchester

  • No toilet facilities
  • Free parking
  • Has an excellent outdoor area for toddlers
  • Farm shop on the way in from Winchester or Waitrose nearby for picnic bits
  • Path’s aren’t distinct but are fairly pushchair friendly
  • See my review of Farleigh Mount from 2013

Basingstoke Canal – Odiham

  • Castle remains are pretty cool although you can no longer picnic inside it, have to sit outside 
  • Path can be quite thin in place but still should still be able to use with an off road buggy.

Frensham Little Pond/Great Pond – Near Farnham

  • Nearest sandy “beach”!

Fleet Pond – Fleet

  • Tiny sandy beach
  • picnic benches
  • jetty’s for feeding the ducks
  • entry road in is a bit hair raising!

Queen Elizabeth Country Park – Horndean

Staunton Country Park – Havant

Royal Victoria Country Park – Southampton

Other Walks

Aldermaston Common – On the road from Basingstoke to Newbury

  • Several Car Parks around the common

Hook Common – Just off Junction 5 of M3

  • Has big red cows with big horns wandering around and often horses grazing, so if have dogs need to keep control of them.

Yateley Common Country Park – Nr Yately

Newbury Race Course/Watership Down – near Kingsclere, RG28 7NJ

Micheldever Wood

    • Head for Winchester on the A30.
    • Go past the Claas (large Farm machinery and tractors) company which is on your right and then take the second left (don’t turn into the first turning, as you can’t park here) sign posted to Northington and The Candovers.
    • Go under the motorway and the car park is up on your left.
    • Oh and it’s NO WHERE NEAR Micheldever! lol
    • Go now, before the bluebells disappear for the year, as they are gorgeous!

Victoria Park

Medstead Forest – Near to Alton

  • Lovely in spring time when the Bluebells are out

Danebury Iron Age Hillfort – Near Andover

Alice Holt

Review: Alice Holt, Farnham