Visit Ringwood

Visiting Ringwood

The historic market town of Ringwood occupies a key position on the western edge of the New Forest with the renowned Avon Valley long-distance walking path passing through it.

Vital ancient trading links once provided by the River Avon and the Victorian railway have been replaced by excellent road systems with the town at the crossroads of the A31 and A338 offering journeys to and from Southampton, Poole, Salisbury and Bournemouth.

The street market on a wednesday has been held in the Market Place since a charter was awarded in 1226. Animals and agricultural goods were still bought and sold into the 1980s, but now a wide variety of merchandise can be found, complimented at the weekends by farmers and speciality markets held in The Furlong and Gateway Square.

The exact history of the town remains unknown however in 955 AD, documents suggest that ‘Rimucwude’ is mentioned which translates into the ‘rim of the forest’. A church and a mill were also mentioned in the Domesday Book in 1086.

In 1725, brewing took off in Ringwood as breweries made use of the waters of the River Avon giving rise to great beers.