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Dorset County Council / Forestry England
Photo: Bermicourt, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Extremely popular forest park with miles of walking, running, cycling, horseriding and callisthenic trails. Free audio and mindfulness trails to download. Kids will love the treetop walk and Gruffalo sculpture trail. There are numerous on-site activities and attractions, listed below. On-site ranger station, café-restaurant, dog wash and picnic spots. No barbecues or camping.
Moors Valley Country Park, officially Moors Valley Country Park and Forest, is a Country Park jointly managed by Dorset Council and Forestry England. It is situated in Ashley Heath, Dorset on the border with Hampshire, in the south of England.
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Dorset County Council
Explore several miles of walking and cycling trails through open heathland. The park is part of a breeding programme for sand lizards, nationally-scarce reptiles which favour the heaths of southern England. Facilities include a visitors' centre, dog wash, café, picnic area and an imaginative nature-themed play area. Dogs must be kept on-lead March to July.
Christchurch Angling Club
Just west of town, where the river Avon briefly splits into two courses. There are fast-flowing and calmer sections, as well as pools, holes and side streams.
There has been a church on-site for at least 1000 years, though the current building only dates from the 1850s. Look out for the 15th-century monumental brass, a matchstick model of the church made by air raid wardens while on fire watch in the 1940s, and a contemporary triptych depicting the two patron saints and a cross.
Grade II*-listed Presbyterian meeting house dating from 1727, now houses the municipal archives. A selection of artefacts is on permanent display, and the house hosts numerous events throughout the year, including concerts and art exhibitions.
Hampshire Wildlife Trust
A group of disused gravel pits that have filled with water over time and now form a cluster of lakes over 160 ha. The reserve is a magnet for great flocks of migratory birds in winter (terns, lapwings, oystercatchers...), while in spring and summer dragonflies and wildflowers put on a display. Other resident birds include redpoll, brambling, kingfisher and bittern. 8 km of level paths are suitable for wheelchairs; the hides are also accessible. No dogs except guide dogs.