Walking in the New Forest

by: Steve Davison
Thanks to William the Conqueror, who set it aside as a royal hunting ground in 1079, the New Forest has been protected by ancient laws for over 900 years. Situated in Hampshire on the south coast of England, it was given National Park status in 2005, helping to further conserve its captivating landscape. It is Britain's smallest national park but offers a wide range of terrain to suit the taste of every walker - ancient woodland, empty heather-clad heath, captivating coastline and many streams and rivers, and the location provides easy access from London.

The 30 contrasting walks in this guidebook use well-defined tracks and paths to visit interesting places including ancient woodlands, heather-clad heaths, rivers and coast, heritage sites, historic churches, colourful gardens and picture-postcard villages. The walks, from 3 to 10 miles long, cover all areas of the New Forest National Park and some can be shortened from the distances given below to suit walkers of all abilities.

There are clear route descriptions with detailed 1:25,000 OS Explorer map extracts with the routes highlighted and many colour photographs. Notes on geology, history and wildlife are explained in the route descriptions. The walk locations are:

Langley Wood and Hamptworth - 5.25 miles
Godshill and Castle Hill - 4.75 miles
Hatchet Green and Woodgreen - 5.75 miles
Bramshaw Telegraph and Eyeworth Pond - 6.5 miles
Bramshaw Church and Nomansland - 5 miles
Abbots Well and Alderhill Inclosure - 5.25 miles
Fritham and Cadman's Pool - 6.5 miles
Janesmoor Pond and the Rufus Stone - 5.5 miles
High Corner Inn and Ogden's Purlieu - 5.75 miles
Appleslade Bottom to Rockford via Ibsley Common - 6 miles
Castle Piece and Linford Brook - 4.75 miles
Exploring Bolderwood - 5.75 miles
Minstead and Furzey Gardens - 7.75 miles
Portuguese Fireplace and the Knightwood Oak - 6 miles
Bank and Gritnam - 4.75 miles
Ober Water and Blackwater Arboretum - 7.25 miles
Holmsley Walk and Burley - 6 miles
Wilverley Inclosure and Castleman's Corkscrew - 6.5 miles
Lyndhurst and Bolton's Bench - 6.5 miles
Ashurst figure-of-eight - 5.5 and 4.75 miles
Beaulieu Road and Bishop's Dyke - 6 miles
King's Hat, Dibden Bottom and the Beaulieu River - 6.25 miles
Stubby Copse Inclosure and Balmer Lawn - 5 miles
Brockenhurst and Dilton - 6.5 miles
Hatchet Pond and Hawkhill Inclosure - 6.25 miles
Beaulieu River from Beaulieu to Buckler's Hard - 4.75 miles
Setley Common and Boldre Church - 6.5 miles
Exploring the coastline from Lymington to Keyhaven - 9.75 miles
Milford on Sea and Hurst Castle - 6.5 miles
Lepe and Exbury - 6 miles

ISBN 9781852846374 Pages 205 (2016) 116mm x 172mm