New Forest Walks - Walks from Brockenhurst

The route
Distance: 4.5 kilometres (2¾ miles) - add a further 3.5 kilometres (2 miles) if starting the walk in Brockenhurst village centre.

Start: The Tilery Road car park at SU307033, 1.75 kilometres (1 mile) north-east of Brockenhurst. Terrain: Mainly on level ground, but with a small number of gentle gradients. The walk is on well compacted, well-drained cycle tracks throughout; and is likely to be relatively firm underfoot, almost whatever the weather. Railway station: Brockenhurst, 1.75 kilometres (1 mile) to the south-west. Forest Holidays camp site: Hollands Wood, 0.5 kilometres (1/3 mile) to the north-west. Alternative starts: Brockenhurst village centre car parking is available opposite the post office in Brookley Road – SU298024. Parking is also available at the Standing Hat car park, on the route, 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) away from the Tilery Road car park.

Directions

From Brockenhurst village

1. From Brockenhurst, leave the village centre on the A337, heading north towards Lyndhurst. Cross the Lymington River at what is known as the Brockenhurst Bridge, and immediately turn right down a minor road signposted to Beaulieu and Roundhill camp site. The Balmer Lawn Hotel can be seen to the left, whilst a small car park beside the river is on the right.

After almost 0.5 kilometres, where the road bends to the right, follow a wide, gravel Forestry Commission track leading straight ahead towards the distant woods. The Tilery Road car park is a short distance ahead on the left.

From the Tilery Road car park

2. Continue along the gravel track towards the woods. On the left is the wide expanse of Balmer Lawn, a favourite grazing place for commoners’ stock, animals that can always be relied upon to always keep the grass short, just as if it were regularly mown.

Cross over a bridge; pass on the right a small, gorse-strewn area of grassland bordered by broadleaved trees; and on the left, ancient, unenclosed woodland. Go left at a fork in the track where straight ahead, a sign advises ‘access for residents only’ along the track leading to Victoria Tilery Cottage.

Standing Hat, with its own small car park, is on the left, at the entrance to an extensive block of woodlands.

3. Immediately before entering the woodlands, turn right, opposite the Standing Hat car park entrance; pass a low, Forestry Commission vehicle barrier; and follow the gravelled cycle track as it eventually passes behind a cluster of buildings associated with Victoria Tilery Cottage.

Continue along the cycle track as it bends to the right, ignoring here a wide, grassy driftway going straight ahead. Immediately pass through a gate, and then almost immediately ignore a gravel track on the right leading to the Victoria Tilery Cottage buildings.

4. Follow the cycle track as it bears left, and over a crossroads – the right turn is another gravel track; that on the left a grassy ride. Notice along here on the left, by the crossroads, a number of circular depressions amongst the trees. They are World War Two bomb craters – during the conflict, around 2,700 bombs apparently fell on the New Forest, some of which came down on Brockenhurst and the surrounding area.

Enter an area of primarily coniferous woodland, follow the cycle track as it swings left with, a little further along, beside the track on the left, two enormous mounds - Southern Wood Ant nests, constructed of pine needles, twigs and other pickings from the woodland floor.

5. Follow the cycle track as it bears to the right, ignoring minor turns to left and right; and eventually go left at the first crossroad of cycle tracks – at sign number 38.
   
Pass through a gate beside on the left a small stock pound at the edge of a wide, grassy ride; and follow the cycle track as it goes slightly right, then left through another gate; and again swings right.

6. Turn left at the next crossroad of cycle tracks; continue along the track as it goes quite sharply right, past on the left a quite pronounced, grassy ride; and on up a gentle incline.