On a warmish, sunny/cloudy day this third leg of the Avon Valley Path was an OK walk. The overgrown path in some sections as well as several stiles being in poor condition would suggest it’s not a frequently used path. I didn’t see a single walker over the 10 miles! It’s a mainly level walk so not particularly strenuous. The last third of the walk is around several lakes but you don’t get to see much of them from the path due to the bushes and the sheet-covered fencing – boo! The pub at Ibsley, where I intended to rest and eat, is closed on Mondays so I was short on nourishment by the end of the walk but I made up for it at the Ringwood Caffè Nero. A brief stroll around Ringwood town centre didn’t suggest there was much there, but it was only a cursory look so this may be a bit unfair.
About The Avon Valley Path
Salisbury to Christchurch
My proposed walks
- Salisbury – Downton (8 miles) (Walked August 5th 2025)
Train to Salisbury, walk to Downton, bus X3 to Salisbury (20 minutes), train to home - Downton – Fordingbridge (7 miles) (Walked August 21st 2025)
Train to Salisbury, bus X3 to Downton (20 minutes), walk to Fordingbridge, bus X3 to Salisbury (32 minutes), train to home - Fordingbridge to Ringwood (10 miles) (Walked September 8th 2025)
Train to Salisbury, bus X3 to Fordingbridge (25 minutes), walk to Ringwood, bus X3 to Salisbury (45 minutes), train to home - Ringwood – Christchurch (10 miles)
Train to Bournemouth, bus X3 to Ringwood (40 minutes), walk to Christchurch, train to home
things change 
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