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New Forest Walks
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The New Forest - ideal walking country for young and not-so-young, alike |
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Within the New Forest National Park there is an impressive:
- 235 kilometres (146 miles) of public footpaths
- 57 kilometres (35 miles) of public bridleways
- 26,600 hectares (266 square kilometres or 103 square miles) of Crown land with open public access.
All provide tremendous opportunities for exploring the New Forest's magnificent heathlands, ancient woodlands, gravel-bottomed streams, and much more.
And, of course, there’s always a chance that around the next corner will be deer or other wildlife to captivate and entertain.
A number of walk routes are included here, all specially designed to pass through richly varied landscapes, to take in places of historic interest, and to see wildlife.
Most begin from a village centre, and many also pass close to Forestry Commission or other car parks that provide alternative, mid-way start points.
Some of the routes are fairly short, and are suitable for a quiet, evening stroll. Other routes are longer and will take a number of hours to complete, but even on these walks, there are few significant hills and no stiles over which to climb. (Many of the shorter routes are modified versions of longer walks, so descriptions and directions for the relevant parts are often identical).
But whilst the terrain is fairly gentle and walkers are rarely very far from a road or village, a number of safety precautions are recommended:
- Full, walk directions are included, but it’s always advisable to carry the Ordnance Survey map of the area – it is Explorer OL22 - and maybe a compass, too, just in case the intended route is missed.
- Access to a mobile phone can also be useful, although phone signal strength in the New Forest is at times variable.
- For many of the walks, strong footwear is also necessary, as, particularly after rain, some areas of the New Forest can be quite wet underfoot.
And finally, do enjoy walking in this magnificent landscape, but please treat it with respect:
- Take all litter home – it is unsightly and can also have unfortunate consequences for wild animals and commoners' stock.
- Don’t be tempted to pick wild flowers (or anything else) – it potentially damages the ecology of the New Forest, harms the individual species and is often illegal, too.
- Don’t feed the ponies or other commoners' stock – it’s bad for their diet, attracts them to roadsides and car parks where traffic accidents are always a risk, and encourages nuisance begging.
- And do close all gates behind you – to create conditions where wild flowers flourish, stock are deliberately excluded from many of the woodland inclosures, and deer also from some. Open gates are an invitation that few animals can resist.
Note: Occasionally, public access is not available to some areas of the New Forest whilst thinning or other Forestry Commission management work is underway – paths are closed for short periods for the safety of both visitors and workers. Similarly, to reduce surface damage, a small number of car parks are closed, primarily in winter. Check out the Forestry Commission web site for up to-date details.
This web site was first published in April, 2008. During the coming weeks, further wildlife information will be loaded, and a What's On? section added. By the end of 2008, New Forest History will be detailed, and sections included relating to Beaulieu, Brockenhurst and Burley. |
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