Wildlife reserves · South East England
Blashford Lakes
In or near Ashley Heath.
Blashford Lakes is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom.
Wikimedia Commons licence
Plan your visit
- Typical visit
- 2 h–4 h
- Best time of year
- Autumn & winter (migration & wildfowl)
- Nearest railway station
- Lakeside · 5.2 km
- Free entry
- Dog-friendly
- Wheelchair accessible
Getting there & planning your visit
To visit Blashford Lakes, the nearest railway station is Lakeside, which is 5.2 km away. The postcode for sat-nav is BH24 3PJ, and entry to the reserve is free.
About
Blashford Lakes is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom. Coordinates: 50.8740°, -1.7870°. This entry is part of The Great Britain Guide, a free, ad-free, open-data tourist directory.
Photo gallery
Official information
Blashford Lakes is a 150-hectare nature reserve created from flooded gravel pits, attracting a variety of birds year-round. Visitors can explore 8km of accessible trails, bird hides, and enjoy wildlife sculptures along the 'Wild Walk' trail.
Protected designations
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: River Avon System SSSI
- Site of Special Scientific Interest: Avon Valley (Bickton to Christchurch) SSSI
- Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Cranborne Chase & West Wiltshire Downs
- Ramsar wetland: Avon Valley
Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.
From the Wikipedia article
Blashford Lakes is a 159-hectare (390-acre) nature reserve north of Ringwood in Hampshire, England, which is managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust. The site is part of the River Avon System Nature Conservation Review site, Grade I, Avon Valley Ramsar site, River Avon Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area, and of Avon Valley (Bickton to Christchurch), which is a Site of Special Scientific Interest. These former gravel pits have lakes, woods and grassland. There are six bird hides and 8 kilometres (5.0 miles) of gravel paths. Birds include lesser redpolls, sand martins, goosanders, siskins and great spotted woodpeckers.
Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.
- Coordinates
- 50.8740, -1.7870
- County
- Hampshire
- District
- New Forest
- Parish
- Ellingham, Harbridge and Ibsley
- Postcode
- BH24 3PJ
- Parliamentary constituency
- New Forest West
- Phone
- 01489 774400
- Nearest railway station
- Lakeside — 5.2 km
- Opening
- Tuesday to Sunday 9am–4:30pm; closed Mondays and Christmas Day
- Official site
- www.hiwwt.org.uk
Sources
- wikidata: Q95736187 (CC0)
- wikipedia: Blashford Lakes (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Other places nearby
Ibsley Viewpoint
Viewpoints · 0.1 km
Tern Hide
Viewpoints · 0.1 km
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve
Forests & woodlands · 0.3 km
R.A.F. Station Ibsley
Memorials & monuments · 0.7 km
Ellingham
Villages · 0.9 km
The Alice Lisle
Historic pubs · 0.9 km
Airfield control tower
Historic houses · 1.0 km
The Old Beams Inn
Historic pubs · 1.1 km
Airview Farm Caravan Park
Caravan parks · 1.2 km
Ibsley
Villages · 1.3 km
Ibsley Bridge
Historic bridges · 1.4 km
R.A.F. Ibsley
Memorials & monuments · 1.4 km
Nearby
📷 5Viewpoints · South East England
Ibsley Viewpoint
Ibsley Viewpoint is a viewpoint in the United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 5Forests & woodlands · South East England
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve
Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve is a forest or woodland in the United Kingdom.
📷 5Memorials & monuments · South East England
R.A.F. Station Ibsley
R.A.F. Station Ibsley is a memorial in the United Kingdom.
📷 5📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Alice Lisle
The Alice Lisle — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
Where to eat & stay near Blashford Lakes
Places to stay
📷 5Caravan parks · South East England
Airview Farm Caravan Park
Airview Farm Caravan Park — a caravan park in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Greenfields Camp Site
Greenfields Camp Site — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Red Shoot Camping Park
Red Shoot Camping Park — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5Campsites · South East England
Deers Leap Holiday Park
Deers Leap Holiday Park — a campsite in england south east.
📷 5
📷 5Caravan parks · South East England
Sunnyside park
Sunnyside park — a caravan park in england south east.
Places to eat & drink
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Alice Lisle
The Alice Lisle — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Old Beams Inn
The Old Beams Inn in England South West, United Kingdom.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The White Hart
The White Hart — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 7Historic pubs · South East England
The Inn on the Furlong
The Inn on the Furlong — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5Historic pubs · South East England
The Original White Hart
The Original White Hart — Historic pub — listed building or notable heritage status.
📷 5More places in this region
📷 5
📷 5Wildlife reserves · South East England
Burham Down
Burham Down — nature reserve in Kent, England, UK.
📷 5Wildlife reserves · South East England
Combe Bottom
Combe Bottom — nature reserve in Surrey, England.
📷 5Wildlife reserves · South East England
Dryhill Nature Reserve
Dryhill Nature Reserve is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom.
Frequently asked questions
- Where is Blashford Lakes?
- Blashford Lakes is in Hampshire, South-East England, United Kingdom (postcode BH24 3PJ), in the parish of Ellingham, Harbridge and Ibsley.
- What is Blashford Lakes?
- Blashford Lakes is a wildlife reserve in the United Kingdom.
- How do I get to Blashford Lakes?
- The nearest railway station is Lakeside, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can use postcode BH24 3PJ.
- Who owns Blashford Lakes?
- Blashford Lakes is owned by Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.
- Is Blashford Lakes a protected site?
- Yes — Blashford Lakes is part of the River Avon System SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest and the Avon Valley (Bickton to Christchurch) SSSI Site of Special Scientific Interest.
- Is Blashford Lakes free to visit?
- Yes, Blashford Lakes is free to enter.
- How do I get to Blashford Lakes?
- The nearest railway station is Lakeside, about 5.2 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode BH24 3PJ.
- Are dogs allowed at Blashford Lakes?
- Most wildlife reserves allow dogs on lead only, with restrictions during ground-nesting bird season (March-July). Check signage at the reserve.