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Blashford Lakes Centre and Reserve
===> Blashford Lakes gets even better (see below) <===
What will I find?
Flooded gravel pits provide a haven for wildlife and people on this 500 acre reserve. Gravel quarrying has been ongoing in the Avon Valley since before the Second World War. Over time, this extraction and the subsequent flooding of the quarries has resulted in the formation of a series of shallow lakes – Blashford Lakes.
The lakes benefit from sensitive zoning and are used by wildlife (visit the fully accessible bird hide for excellent views), for water storage and for recreation by sailing, water-skiing and angling clubs and walkers.
But not all of the wildlife is concentrated on or in the lakes. The woodland areas are home to badgers, foxes, invertebrates, roe deer and birds. Otters and sea trout also pass through, swimming up the Dockens Water River.
The Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve is managed by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust in partnership with the New Forest District Council and landowners Wessex Water and Bournemouth and West Hampshire Water.
How will I get round?
For further information about Blashford Lakes, how to get around and a map of the reserve, view the Blashford Lakes leaflet (950 KB).
Paths
A network of relatively flat surfaced paths around the reserve provides access to six viewing hides and the Education Centre.
Barriers along the paths
All paths are 1.5m wide but this narrows to 1.2m over a footbridge and approximately 1.3m through the kissing gates. If you have a large buggy or wheelchair you may need a RADAR key to by-pass the kissing gates – keys are available from the Centre by arrangement. Doors to hides are standard door width (0.84m).
Gradients of paths
Only one path has a slope greater than 8%.
Resting places
There are benches at regular intervals along the main paths.
Mobile phone coverage
Good with some network providers (e.g. O2 and Vodafone), others poor (e.g. Orange).
Toilets
There are toilet facilities available at the education centre, including an accessible toilet. A baby changing station is also available.
What's on at Blashford Lakes
Find out more about the wildlife at Blashford Lakes and attend one of our upcoming events.
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How do I get there?
From Ringwood take the A338 for two miles towards Salisbury, pass Ivy Lane on the right and take the next right to Linwood, into Ellingham Drove. Take the next right and this will lead to a car park and the study centre. 40 car spaces are available plus an additional overflow car park. Two disabled spaces at the “Tern Hide” are planned but not yet marked.
Public transport links
Good hourly service on Wilts and Dorset X3 service between Bournemouth and Salisbury. Accessing this service does however mean crossing a very fast and busy A-road (with no pedestrian "islands") to either leave or arrive at the reserve, depending upon the direction of travel. Blashford Lakes map (external link).
Things to look out for ...
- From May through to October look out for any of the 20 species of dragonfly recorded on site, including downy emerald dragonflies and more common species such as common blue and beautiful demoiselle damselflies, emperor, brown hawker and common darter dragonflies.
- Rare Lichens growing in the rabbit grazed short turf of the acid grassland provide a mosaic of green, grey and red. Please enjoy these from the footpaths to avoid damaging this specialised and fragile habitat.
- Nest box webcam. Two nest boxes have been fitted with webcams. Watch the footage from the blue tit and great tit boxes or visit the Blashford Lakes Centre to watch the footage live.
- Nest box webcam update 15 May - the great tits are getting ready to leave. Visit the Centre and watch the latest comings and goings...
Blashford Lakes Newsletter
It is our intention to produce a wildlife newsletter seasonally, four times a year, and distribute it by e-mail to our regular volunteers, schools, community groups and visitors as well as local businesses who are interested in passing on the news to their staff. Dowload a copy of the Spring Newsletter.
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===> Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve gets even better <===
Blashford Lakes Wildlife Reserve is already a wonderful resource for the local community but it’s just about to get even bigger and better. With the benefit of funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund through the Living River project, together with a grant from Hanson Concrete Charitable Trust, work is now underway to expand public access to the reserve with three new hides and over a mile of new paths.
For regular visitors the improvements will not mean ‘more of the same’ but ‘more than before’. The new paths will meander through reedbeds and willow carr, providing a new experience. There will be more space for bird watchers and walkers who enjoy nature, both young and old alike. Visitors will be able to enjoy views over Ibsley Water and Mockbeggar Lake which are home to thousands of wintering wildfowl and summer migrants.
Work is due to be completed on the new access areas by the end of October and they will be opened to the public in November.
The Centre
The reserve offers a well-appointed centre which serves as an excellent starting point for exploring the history and wildlife of the site. Click here for details of our Education programme. In addition to working with visiting schools, youth groups and adult special interest groups, staff provide a busy programme of public guided walks and events. Wildlife Watch meetings are also held at the centre once a month. Please visit our Wildlife Watch page for information about the Blashford Watch group or visit the national Wildlife Watch page.
Information available on site
There are information points in the car park and by the education centre, with a site map and details of wildlife you might see.
Education
The centre provides a high-quality environmental education programme that ranges from pre-school to adult. If you are a teacher, please visit our schools and education section for more information or contact Jim Day on 01425 472760.
For more details of training courses and activities for adults, please visit our wildlife courses page.
Contact us...
tel 01425 472 760 email feedback@hwt.org.uk
post Blashford Lakes Centre, Ellingham Drove, Ringwood, Hampshire BH24 3PJ
Map ref. SU 151 083
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