Fordingbridge is a small town in Hampshire, on the northwestern edge of the New Forest national park. The town itself is mostly known for its 13th century bridge over the River Avon, but the surrounding countryside has some attractions of note.

Understand

The River Avon and Great Bridge

There has been a crossing over the River Avon in the form of a ford or a bridge for longer than the records go back, but the current seven-arched stone bridge was built at some point in the 13th century, and widened and reinforced in the 19th. The bridge was once an important access point to the New Forest, so much so that the lord of the manor was for many centuries charged with ensuring nobody smuggled venison out of the forest by means of the bridge.

The celebrated Welsh portrait artist Augustus John lived in the town for over 30 years until his death in 1961. Evidently he still inspires a good deal of local pride, as not only have they erected a statue to him, they've also named a pub and even a whole new neighbourhood after him.

Fordingbridge is a typical small Hampshire town, with a population of around 6,000. It was a market town in the medieval era, but those days of regional importance are far behind it. The laidback town centre is not especially lovely, but there are some old buildings of note such as the parish church and town hall, and most of the shops are independents rather than chains.

• 1 Fordingbridge Information Office, Kings Yard, 23 Salisbury Street, SP6 1AB (next to the museum), ☏ +44 1425 654 560, information@fordingbridge.gov.uk. M-F 10AM-4PM. Tourist information, fishing permits and internet access. (updated Dec 2020)

Get in

On the northwestern edge of the New Forest and very close to the borders with Dorset and Wiltshire, Fordingbridge is 12 miles (19 km) south of the cathedral city of Salisbury.

By car

By far the best means of reaching Fordingbridge, not least because the main attractions of the area are out of the town. The A338 Salisbury to Bournemouth road passes just to the east of the town centre. At Ringwood, 6 miles (9.7 km) further south, the road meets the A31 trunk road, which most traffic from the Southampton, Dorchester and London directions will use to access the area.

By public transport

Fordingbridge lost its railway line in the 1960s, and the nearest station is now at Salisbury, which receives trains from towns and cities across southern Britain, including London, Southampton, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter. See that article for more details.

The Salisbury Reds bus service X3 runs from Salisbury's main square to Bournemouth via Fordingbridge and Ringwood. The bus runs every 30 min for most of M-Sa; an hourly service operates before 9AM and after 7PM on these days, and all day on Su and public holidays. Journey times are: from Salisbury 25 min; from Ringwood 15 min; from Bournemouth 1 hr.

On foot

The Avon Valley Path is a 34-mile (55-km) trail linking Salisbury to Christchurch via Fordingbridge, broadly following the River Avon through pretty Hampshire and Wiltshire countryside.

Get around

Fordingbridge is a small town that any able-bodied person can comfortably navigate on foot.

If you're visiting attractions in the surrounding area, you need your own motorised transport as aside from the X3, there's no local public transport to speak of. Even the New Forest's famously dense warren of cycling trails seems to have almost completely bypassed Fordingbridge and what cycle routes there are, are shared with road vehicles.

See

• 1 Great Bridge, Bridge Street, SP6 1AH. One of only two bridges in the UK with seven arches, this is a pretty spot to take in the river. (updated Dec 2020)

• 2 Augustus John Statue, Bridge Street, SP6 1AH (on the right river bank, just north of the bridge). Grade II-listed bronze sculpture of the Fordingbridge artist, by Ivor Roberts-Jones. In contrast to many overidealised memorial statues, John is depicted as rather showing his age, looking unsteady on his feet, albeit still brimming with passion and something akin to defiance. (updated Dec 2020)

• Fordingbridge Museum. (updated Dec 2020)

• St Mary's Church. (updated Dec 2020)

Further afield

• Breamore House. (updated Dec 2020)

• Rockbourne Roman Villa. (updated Dec 2020)

Do

• 1 Riverside Park (Fordingbridge Park or Recreation Ground), Ringwood Road, SP6 1AN (left bank of the river, off Bridge Street). Daily 8AM-7PM. Despite not knowing what to call itself, this has pretty much everything you'd want from a small town park: a decent-sized playground, sports pitches, a snack kiosk that makes its own ice lollies, and even a shingle beach where you can paddle or swim in the languid waters of the Avon. (updated Dec 2020)
  • Fishing (angling) in the Avon, ☏ +44 7539 797 510, nige@riversidekiosk.co.uk. Daily 8AM-7PM. Fish anywhere along the river's course through the park and try your luck at landing grayling, pike, perch, roach, or trout. One day permit: adult £5, concession £2.50, under-16 free. Purchase from Riverside Kiosk in the park, or from the information centre in town. (updated Dec 2020)
• Regal Cinema. (updated Dec 2020)

• Pumpkin Pastures. (updated Dec 2020)

Further afield

• Insight Activities. (updated Dec 2020)

• Arniss Equestrian. (updated Dec 2020)

• New Forest Water Park. (updated Dec 2020)

Buy

• Hockey's Farm Shop. (updated Dec 2020)
• D Price Butchers. (updated Dec 2020)
• The Fordingbridge Bookshop. (updated Dec 2020)
• The Cottage Loaf. (updated Dec 2020)
• All The Cool Stuff. (updated Dec 2020)
• Gourmet Grocer. (updated Dec 2020)
• Vintage Wine & Port. (updated Dec 2020)
• 1 Fordingbridge Country Market, Avonway Community Centre, Shaftesbury Street, SP6 1JF, ☏ +44 1725 518 350. F 9:30AM-11:30AM. A weekly artisan market for fresh bread and cakes, seasonal fruit and veg, preserves, flowers and knitwear. (updated Dec 2020)

Eat

Augustus John's head

Ultra-local Fordingbridge fudge, made in town with milk and butter from a herd of Guernseys who graze on pastures less than a mile away, is a traditional treat to sample while here. The classic flavour is vanilla, but for something a bit more special, try the chocolate orange, or else the New Forest honey and cream. Buy it from Gourmet Grocer or Hockeys Farm Shop.

• 1 Belinda's, 18-20 High Street, SP6 1AX, ☏ +44 1425 653 118. M-Sa 8AM-3PM. Chatty bakery and tea shop, popular for its artisan bread, cakes, and sausage rolls. (updated Dec 2020)

Sleep

• 1 Alderholt Mill, Sandleheath Road, Alderholt, SP6 1PU (On the Dorset side of the county border, 2 mi (3.2 km) west of Fordingbridge via Station Rd and Alderholt Rd), ☏ +44 1425 653 130, enquiries@alderholtmill.co.uk. Charming wisteria-covered B&B at a working watermill, with one self-catering cottage (sleeps two). All rooms en-suite. Attractive gardens with a mill pond, outdoor seating and BBQ available to use. And yes, you can buy a bag of flour from the mill. B&B doubles £80-£120 per night; self-catering £360-£430 per week. (updated Dec 2020)
• Amy's Camping. (updated Dec 2020)