Walking in Hampshire  The Avon Valley Path    The Avon Valley is
a very special place; it has a greater range of habitats and a
wider variety of flora and fauna than any other chalk river in
Britain. The broad flood plain of the lower valley mainly
comprises hay meadows and pastures dissected by drainage ditches
and streams, which frequently flood during the winter, and this
flooding has possibly saved the area from intrusive development.
Wetland wild flowers thrive, such as water avens, meadowsweet
and tubular water-dropwort. In the more acidic areas look for
tormentil, Devil’s-bit scabious or meadow thistle. Nearly
seventy species of aquatic plant and twenty-four species of fish
have been recorded, including barbel and salmon. The valley is
of national importance for birds, particularly over-wintering
wildfowl such as white-fronted geese and Bewick swans, lapwing,
golden plover and black-tailed godwits. The lakes around
Ringwood play host to ducks, great crested grebe, cormorants and
many other species of