The Forestry Commission and Alice Holt
Alice Holt is one of many forests managed by the Forestry Commission which looks after the largest single woodland holding in the UK. At sites like Alice Holt providing for visitors is a high priority for the Forestry Commission but wildlife and forestry must also be taken into account in our management of the woods. For further information click on the menu links to our Woodland Management, Wildlife, History and What’s New pages and take a look at 'On your Doorstep', our Statement of Direction.
Woods are perfect places for all sorts of activities from running and cycling to just sitting quietly and ‘chilling out’. In 2005 the Forestry Commission launched its Active Woods campaign, backed by the British Heart Foundation, to encourage people to go out into the woods, have a good time and do something good for their health at the same time. Active Woods is no longer a campaign but it’s the basis of much of what we offer to visitors.
At Alice Holt we were there encouraging active engagement with the forest from the word ‘go’ with Babes in the Wood and Mums on the Run. These proved to be very popular and to meet demand we introduced our Little Explorers sessions for 3 to 4 year olds. These are still exptremely popular. Mums on the Run was superseded by Nordic Walking which is equally suitable for the very energetic and the not so energetic. At Alice Holt you have the choice of taking part in a whole range of activities or just getting out into the fresh air. Other things on offer include Walking to Health Walks run by volunteers.
Partnerships at Alice Holt
The Forestry Commission works with other organisations to enable facilities to be provided and projects to take place. In addition to the franchise companies on site (Go Ape, Quench Cycles and the Café) we work with local authorities (Hampshire County Council and East Hampshire District Council) and other relevant organisations such as CTC, the national cyclists organisation, and Treloars, the renowned school and college for children and young pepole with disabilities. The Cycling for All project was developed in partnership with East Hampshire District Council and the Cyclists Touring Club as part of a consortium led by Sustrans, the sustainable transport organisation. For more information about Cycling for All take a look at our Cycling page.
Everyone is welcome at Alice Holt
There's something here for people of all ages and abilities. The Cycling for All project is one example of opportunities provided for people with disabilities but we have other visitors with a range of disabilities, notably from schools and colleges. Treloar School www.treloar.org.uk is a local special school which makes frequent visits to the forest, making use of the Easy Access Trail and the central area.
Where does the name Alice Holt come from?
There are a couple of theories about the name and both have their origins way back in history. The most widely accepted is that it refers to a tenth century bishop. Aelfsige was Bishop of Winchester in 984 and the See (or Diocese) of Winchester had rights over the forest, being responsible for the land on behalf of the King. Holt is a Saxon word meaning ‘managed forest’. It’s suggested that, over the years, the name Aelfsige’s Holt has been corrupted, appearing as Ailsie’s Holt in some old documents and eventually ending up as the much simpler Alice Holt.
Another theory is that Alice Holt is derived from Aisholt, Asheshold or Axisholt, all meaning Ash Wood. These names could have referred to the ashes left in the woods from the numerous Roman pottery kilns which were in use from around 50-400AD.
http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/infd-6qllqe
