Blackwater: Scrag Hill Nursery Trail
Pass through the Arboretum which houses a beautiful collection of trees from many countries
This is an easy walk through woodland that passes Scrag Hill Nursery and ends with a stroll down a short section of the Tall Trees Trail.
Blackwater has some of the oldest and most striking firs in all of the New Forest. These impressive trees were planted in the 1850s to create what is now known as Rhinefield Ornamental Drive.
Overview
- Start/finish: Blackwater car park, Grid ref. SU 268 047
- Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest
- Getting there: No public transport links, parking at Blackwater car park.
- Distance: 1.1 miles (1.8 km)
- Duration: Under 1 hour
- Local facilities: Blackwater car park has space for 50 cars with two spaces reserved for disabled visitors. It has toilets and disabled access toilets, picnic tables, bike racks and an information point.
- Accessibility: The narrowest width along the route is on the grassy section where the path is 0.75m wide. There are two gates into the Arboretum, the narrowest of which is 1.1m wide. There is a bridge which is 1.5m wide with handrails and 1m wide anti-slip covering (grid reference: SU 267 047).
Directions
1. Arrival
Blackwater Arboretum car park has accessible parking and accessible toilet facilities in addition to an information point and picnic tables. Please take all your rubbish home and follow the New Forest Code whilst out and about.
2. The Three Oak Arches
To start your stroll along the Heartwood Trail, go under the first oak archway, cross over the Rhinefield Ornamental Drive and continue up the gravel track for a to a second oak archway. Go straight ahead walking through the centre of the Arboretum before exiting through a third wooded oak archway.
3. Scrag Hill Nursery
After leaving the arboretum follow the gravel track up to a crossroads and turn right. After a short walk turn right again to enter Scrag Hill Nursery, an area previously used to grow trees from seedlings to saplings. Head down this path until you reach a T junction with a bench and some information boards.
4. Tall Trees Trail
You are now on the Tall Trees Trail! You can turn right to head back to Blackwater car park or turn left for a much longer walk (the Tall Trees Trail), which also finishes at Blackwater car park..
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New Forest code
Please be aware of the New Forest Code when walking in the National Park.
