Those considering Bordon as a destination can explore its nature, trails and culture separately. The Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve encompasses twelve different habitats; the Edwardian and Literary Town Trails share the town’s history and literary connections, while the Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre adds a chapter of its own on architectural history.
Nature and landscape
In the Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve, the landscape ranges from heathland and an old meadow to a pond and riverbank. These are examples of the reserve’s twelve habitats in total. It is home to many species, including some that are rare and endangered. So, if you’re choosing nature-related interests for your stay, you’ll find both a variety of habitats and biodiversity to explore here.
The nature reserve is open to pedestrians 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is part of Bordon’s Green Grid and Green Loop network; signs and information boards are provided along the route. Nearby Hogmoor Inclosure is another natural area: it covers more than 54 hectares of woodland and heathland in the Bordon area. Three marked trails are named the Legion Trail, Reme Trail and Gilbert White Trail.
Woolmer Forest offers another way to understand the local landscape. Bordon and Whitehill lie within this heathland area, which is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). The Deadwater Valley Walk is set in a 50-acre area of heathland and woodland rich in wildlife. These details highlight different aspects: Woolmer Forest places Bordon and Whitehill within a designated heathland landscape, while the walk focuses on an area of heathland and woodland and its wildlife.
Distinguishing trails and cycle routes
The descriptions of the Green Loop and the Bordon Cycling Route can help you choose a trip, as their stated lengths, purposes and difficulty levels differ. The Green Loop is 7 km long and was created to improve cycling and walking connections around Bordon. By contrast, the Bordon Cycling Route is a challenging 16-mile cycle route that runs through Bordon to Oakhanger. When planning, you can therefore choose between a route with a stated length and purpose, and a longer cycle route explicitly described as challenging.
The Deadwater Valley Walk adds a landscape focus to this selection of routes, while three marked trails are named for Hogmoor Inclosure. You can compare the options according to your interests: cycling, walking and cycling connections, or trails through a described woodland and heathland landscape. If you want to make a particular route the focus of your stay, take note of its stated length and— for the Bordon Cycling Route—its stated difficulty.
Theatre history and town trails
The Phoenix Theatre is a theatre and arts centre converted from a former Edwardian school. The building was constructed in 1906 as the Camp School at Louisburg Barracks in Bordon and was converted into an arts centre in 1982. This timeline links its present-day cultural focus with the building’s former use, while keeping the stages distinct.
The Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre’s programme includes events, courses, workshops and regular interest-group meetings. The theatre has 101 seats and hosts more than 100 performances a year. If you’d like to plan your travel dates around a particular performance, check the event dates in advance.
The Edwardian and Literary Town Trails in Bordon share information about the town’s history and literary connections. They offer another cultural perspective alongside the theatre programme: the trails focus on local history and literature, while the theatre offers events and performances. This makes it possible to plan a stay around nature, cycling and walking trails, and culture without combining these different options into a single route.
Discover more destinations: Horndean, Oakley, Titchfield, East Tisted, Monk Sherborne, North Waltham, Breamore, New Milton
For the main travel overview: Hampshire.
