The Old Reptiliary in New Forest National Park

Sight · New Forest National Park

The Old Reptiliary

Short waymarked woodland loop with picnic tables by the car park

Photo: Wikimedia Commons
Type
Sight
Nearest trail
Right here
Audio stories
13 nearby
  • Trailhead
  • Parking
  • Restrooms
  • Picnic tables

Hear the audio tour

The Hawk That Came Back

Overview

About The Old Reptiliary

Why stop

  • Peaceful woodland walk and family-friendly circular trail
  • Picnic stop with a clearly marked short loop

Heads up

  • Former reptile exhibits and information cabin are gone
  • Grass sections can be muddy and the site is seasonal
This is a quiet woodland stop and trail head, not an animal attraction. It sits about two miles southwest of Lyndhurst, just off the A35, and works best as a place to park up, stretch your legs on a short loop through the trees, and eat lunch at a picnic table. If you want a low effort forest walk that does not involve navigating open heath, it does the job well.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy stop here

Map

Where it is

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SightThe Old Reptiliary50.86299, -1.61707
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Plan your stop

Before you go

Best time to go

Pros: a peaceful woodland walk, an easy circular route that suits families, and a straightforward picnic stop with parking and toilets. Cons: the former exhibits and information cabin are gone, the grass can be genuinely muddy, and the seasonal opening limits when you can use the car park. The best combination is a dry stretch during a school holiday or Bank holiday period, when the site is open and the grass sections are firmer underfoot.

1 active New Forest alert

  • CautionNew Forest outdoor-fire restrictionDo not use BBQs, campfires, stoves, outdoor camping equipment or other naked flames on the open Forest.Official details
New Forest alerts
A park ranger sits on a dash-mounted phone, talking, as Parkwolf’s Tour Guide plays “Army Cutworm Moths: A Grizzly Bear Buffet” on Grand Loop Road below Dunraven Pass in Yellowstone
Parkwolf Tour GuideThe highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.

New Forest Tour Guide

Your drive to The Old Reptiliary, narrated.

Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for New Forest National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.

Recorded for this area

The Hawk That Came Back
0:00 / 0:28
“Goshawks were absent from the New Forest for about 120 years. One pair returned in 2002, and the bird breeds here again.”

Plays on the road 0.9 km from The Old Reptiliary in the Parkwolf New Forest Tour Guide.

More stories near here in the app

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  • 283 audio storiesacross New Forest’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
  • Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, White-tailed Eagle, Harbor Seal, and 13 more
  • Works offlinemaps, 70 trails, 48 places, and audio download before you lose signal
  • CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
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Guide

More about The Old Reptiliary

Set your expectations firstThe site is the former Reptile Centre, and that part of the visit is over.

The site is the former Reptile Centre, and that part of the visit is over. Reptiles and other creatures are no longer available to view because of animal welfare issues and predation, and the information cabin is closed. The old name still turns up on maps and in word of mouth, so arrive expecting woodland and picnic tables, not viewing pens or volunteers. Children who have been promised reptiles will be disappointed, so frame it as a woodland walk before you leave home.

The walk and the footingThe discovery trail is a short, family friendly circular route through the woods, following red…

The discovery trail is a short, family friendly circular route through the woods, following red marker posts. Most of it runs along a fairly smooth main gravel track, but there are grass sections that can be muddy after wet weather. After rain, wear waterproof footwear with a decent grip and be ready for soft, slippery ground on the grass.

Practical basicsOn site you get the car park, toilets, and picnic tables near the car park.

On site you get the car park, toilets, and picnic tables near the car park. That is the whole offer, so bring your own food and drink. The site opens during school holidays and Bank holidays, and the car park follows that same seasonal pattern. When the car park is shut, Millyford Bridge car park is the backup, which is worth noting as a fallback rather than a wasted trip. Because the opening pattern is seasonal and can shift, check before setting out rather than trusting a fixed schedule.

Wildlife

Wildlife in New Forest

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