Rhinefield Ornamental Drive Loop

The Rhinefield Ornamental Drive cuts through one of the New Forest's most spectacular planted woodlands, where towering Douglas firs, giant redwoods and Wellingtonia planted by the Victorians create a cathedral-like canopy overhead. This 6.4km loop follows gravel tracks through the mature arboretum, where some trees now exceed 50 metres in height and the scale of the planting dwarfs everything beneath. The understorey is open and parklike, quite different from the wilder, scruffier forest elsewhere, and streams cross the path at regular intervals. The atmosphere is quiet, green and almost continental in character. The terrain is entirely flat with well-maintained paths throughout.

This is one of the finest dog friendly walks in the New Forest, with high off-lead potential through the forest sections where the clear paths and dense tree cover mean dogs can range freely without getting lost. The streams provide regular water access for drinking and cooling off, and the deep leaf litter and forest floor carry rich, varied scent year-round. Free-roaming ponies and cattle occasionally appear in clearings, so leads should be ready when approaching grazing areas. The Blackwater car park has good facilities and the nearby Blackwater Arboretum café welcomes dogs. The forest is stunning in every season, but autumn when the deciduous trees turn gold beneath the evergreen conifers is particularly special. A walk of genuine grandeur.