Bordon: Nature, Trails and Culture

A stay in Bordon can have different focuses: Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve and its habitats, trails and cycling routes around Bordon, or theatre and local history. The specific details vary: the nature reserve is about landscapes and species, the routes about length and course, and the cultural offering about programmes and the history of buildings. You can start by considering which of these aspects matters most for your trip.

Nature areas and landscapes

Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve is open to pedestrians around the clock, seven days a week. It encompasses twelve different habitats, including heathland, an old meadow, a pond and a riverbank. Many species are found in the reserve, some of them rare and endangered. The examples mentioned range from heathland and meadow to bodies of water and riverbanks.

Bordon and Whitehill lie in Woolmer Forest, a heathland designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Hogmoor Inclosure is also located near Bordon: the area covers more than 54 hectares of woodland and heathland. Three waymarked trails run through it: the Legion Trail, the Reme Trail and the Gilbert White Trail. The Deadwater Valley Walk, in turn, is located in a 50-acre area of heathland and woodland that is rich in wildlife.

Getting around on foot and by bike

Deadwater Valley Local Nature Reserve is part of Bordon’s Green Grid and Green Loop network. There is signage and information boards along the route. The Green Loop is seven kilometres long and was created to improve walking and cycling connections around Bordon.

Another named cycling route is the Bordon Cycling Route. It runs through Bordon to Oakhanger, is 16 miles long and is challenging. The two routes differ in both their stated length and their described purpose: the Green Loop is intended to improve walking and cycling connections; the Bordon Cycling Route has a specified destination and difficulty rating. The Deadwater Valley Walk offers another point of reference for visitors interested in trails through a heathland and woodland landscape.

Culture and history in Bordon

Phoenix Theatre & Arts Centre is a theatre and arts centre converted from a former Edwardian school. The Phoenix Theatre building was constructed in 1906 as Camp School at Louisburg Barracks in Bordon. In 1982, it was converted into an arts centre. This sequence links the building’s history with its cultural use.

Phoenix Theatre has 101 seats and hosts more than 100 performances a year. Its offering also includes events, classes, workshops and regular meetings of interest groups. This means Bordon offers a choice of performances and events as well as other forms of cultural activity.

The Edwardian and Literary Town Trails provide information about the town’s history and its literary connections. Together with the history of Phoenix Theatre, they offer another way to explore Bordon’s culture: the trails focus on local history and literature, while the theatre has a programme of events.

Find a hotel for your stay in Bordon

If you’re looking for a hotel in Bordon, first consider whether nature, a cycling route or culture will be the focus of your trip. The local information offers different points of reference: habitats and species in the reserve, named trails and cycling routes, and the events programme at Phoenix Theatre. Then compare the specific hotel details for your travel dates.

Discover more destinations: Hartley Wintney, Rotherwick, Abbotts Ann, Monk Sherborne, Fleet, Overton, Stroud, Burley

For the broader travel overview: Hampshire.