周辺の湖・トップ5

Beautiful spot with plenty of wildlife

It's called a lake, but it's in fact a reservoir, apparently able to store 270 million litres of water. It's one of the three lakes that make up Test Lakes Nature Reserve (the other lakes being Testwood Lake to the north and Meadow Lake to the north of that). In fact, this beautiful spot affords you beautiful views of both Little Testwood Lake and Testwood Lake. Worth stopping here to marvel at the natural world.

A very interesting Bronze Age roundhouse is to be found on the northern banks of Testwood Lake. When the reservoir here was being built, evidence of this Bronze Age site was found, including not just the roundhouse, but also a timber bridge and a part of a boat. Also, nearby, there is a very interesting log with wildlife carvings on it - rather pretty!

Visit Fritham and Eyeworth Pond, take a moment to wander through history Walk around the man-made gunpowder mill pond or take a walk through the woodland. Keep an eye out for the old black post box near the entrance to Fritham car park, there for the workers of the mill. Wander through the woodlands full of Roman remains. Fritham is a small village with the village green at it's heart. Visit the pub, named after the ancient oak opposite (over 1000 years old), or join the cycle trail network and ride over to Ogdens. You are likely to see the New Forest's ponies and cattle. Please treat these animals with care, don’t feed or pet the livestock – keep your distance.

Abbotswood Nature Reserve has recently been opened by the Test Valley Borough Council, as part of the nearby housing development. There are several ponds which support a large population of Great Crested Newts.

Testwood Lakes is a lovely spot to visit when on foot, whether running or walking. The exit pathway to the north is overgrown at present. Not impassably, but getting through unscathed by brambles or stinging nettles is quite difficult right now (July 2016). Also, my runs have been interrupted by grazing cows being stubbornly unwilling to move.

Testwood Lakes form a stunning nature reserve with grassland, wetland and woodland habitats. Lapwings, oystercatchers, and great crested grebes roost on the lakes in spring. During the summer, clouds of brightly-coloured dragonflies and damselflies can be observed. You can see plenty more wildlife and plantlife, too. There are also bird hides dotted around.

Testwood Lakes is a beautiful nature reserve located in Southampton. The reserve features a multitude of tranquil lakes and walking trails and is teeming with wonderful wildlife and birdlife. Keep your eyes peeled for the likes of the sand martin, great crested grebe, kingfisher, snipe, great white egret, little egret and Grey Heron.