Friends of Ballard Water Meadow

Located only a few hundred metres north of the bustling centre of New Milton and not far from Ballard Lake, Ballard Water Meadow is a treasured tranquil spot and nature conservation area. Prized by local people, the site provides a gentle walk or a place to pause and reflect.

The meadow, and the woodland next to it, is a Site of Importance to Nature Conservation (SINC) owned by New Milton Town Council and maintained by the Friends of Ballard Water Meadow, following a five-year management plan devised jointly with the New Forest Land Advice Service, Natural England and the New Forest National Park, agreed with New Milton Town Council.

Maintenance of Ballard Water Meadow takes work and the support of local residents. If you would like to help maintain this valuable local resource, membership of the Friends costs a £5 a year, for which members receive a welcome pack and a quarterly Newsletter. As a not for profit group we rely on monies raised through membership subscriptions and donations to fund the work we do to benefit wildlife.

In addition, you are welcome to help our conservation work by joining our working group who meet every Friday and Sunday from 09.30 – 12.30hrs. Meet us at the metal gate by the storage container at the western end of Lake Grove Road.

In any case, we would love to see you enjoying a gentle stroll around Ballard Water Meadow and Woar Copse, enjoying the considerable wildlife to be found there, just as we do.

For more information on the Friends of Ballard Water Meadow, click here.