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New Forest Cycle Ride - 5
Woodland and heathland near Brockenhurst, including Hursthill and Poundhill Inclosures
(Note: on this route there is a river to cross at a ford, which after heavy rain can become impassable).
Location: 2 kilometres (1¼ miles) west of Brockenhurst.
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Distance: 11 kilometres (7 miles), including a short stretch of
Rhinefield Road.
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Start: Beachern Wood car park, on Rhinefield Road (SU 284026).
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Station: Brockenhurst, 2.5 kilometres (1½ miles).
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Forest Holidays camp sites: Aldridge Hill, on the route, just over 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) north of the start point; and
Hollands Wood, 3 kilometres (1¾ miles) away.
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Alternative starts:
Ober Corner car park at SU 284036;
Whitefield Moor car park on Rhinefield Road - SU 274026; Whitemoor car park on Rhinefield Road - SU 277024;
and Puttles Bridge car park on Rhinefield Road - SU 271029.
The cycle track through Brick Kiln Inclosure, 2.5 kilometres south-west of Lyndhurst, can also be used to join the route on the edge of Hursthill Inclosure and New Park Plantation. |
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Directions:
(Only designated cycle tracks, and roads are usually mentioned; not footpaths and other tracks).
1) From Beachern Wood car park, turn right onto Rhinefield Road, and pass alongside the grasslands of Whitefield Moor.
2) Cross Ober Water at Puttles Bridge, and continue along the road beside Aldridgehill Inclosure, and then through Clumber Inclosure.
3) Notice Rhinefield House on the left, before, opposite the house, taking the turn to the right to join the cycle track through/beside Fletchers Thorns Inclosure. (An advance warning sign here advises caution when crossing the ford quite a distance up ahead).
4) After 1 kilometre, leave the woodlands, skirt an area of grassland and cross Fletchers Water at the ford.
5) Follow the track over an open area, into Poundhill Inclosure. After a short distance, turn right at a ‘X’ roads – cycle track sign number 24 – and continue through the wood for 0.75 kilometres (½ mile).
6) Leave the inclosure through a gate, and cross a corner of Poundhill Heath, the start of a Wildlife Conservation Area in which it is requested that dogs be kept on a lead and disturbance avoided.
7) Cross Highland Water at a bridge, and go on beside the enclosed grasslands of Queen’s Meadow.
8) Pass through a gate into Hursthill Inclosure, and after a short distance, ignore a turn on the left – it is not a cycle track.
9) Continue on for 0.75 kilometres before going through a gate and immediately after, turning right at a ‘T’ junction – cycle track sign number 26.
10) Almost immediately, go through another gate into New Park Plantation – the agricultural land of New Park will soon be seen through the trees to the left.
11) After 1.5 kilometres (1 mile), leave the inclosure through a gate, almost immediately follow the cycle track as it bears right at cycle track sign number 27, and after a further short distance, pass through another gate to reach Highland Water at Bolderford Bridge.
12) Continue beside Black Knowl, and then along a tarmac road through ancient, unenclosed woodland bordering Ober Water, before cycling alongside Whitefield Moor and back to the start point. (Notice along here the coppiced hazels in the hedgerow to the left of the track, and the aged, oak pollards to the right). |
Points of interest:
Aldridgehill Inclosure |
First enclosed 1775, then again in 1809. Thrown out – the fences removed – in 1843, and re-enclosed 1903. (The original planting was amongst the oldest in the New Forest). On the cycle route, mixed, well-spaced conifers and broad-leaved trees can be seen. |
Hursthill Inclosure |
First enclosed 1808. Primarily magnificent oak woodland, including many trees that appear to be from the original planting. Small number of conifers, also. |
Fletchers Thorns Inclosure |
First enclosed 1829. Primarily mature broad-leaves, but with considerable quantities of conifers close to the cycle track. |
New Park Plantation |
First enclosed 1829. Primarily oaks that appear to be from the original planting, with some beech and a few conifers, including large, ornamental examples. |
Clumber Inclosure |
First enclosed 1843. Mixed, well-spaced conifers and broad-leaved trees. |
Poundhill Inclosure |
First enclosed 1859. Primarily conifers with a small number of broad-leaves. |
Whitefield Moor |
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Ober Water |
Delightful, gravel-bottomed New Forest stream. |
Rhinefield House |
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Poundhill Heath |
A nice example of open, New Forest heathland. |
Queen’s Meadow |
Grassland area popular with fallow and red deer. |
Highland Water |
Beautiful, steep banked, gravel-bottomed New Forest stream. |
Black Knowl |
Heathland that in places was re-seeded, and used for agriculture. |
New Park |
The age suggested by the name is misleading. New Park was first mentioned in 1484, and the name served to distinguish it from Lyndhurst Old Park . |
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And finally, find out about the countryside and wildlife that can be seen during the cycle ride:
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