Walk in the New Forest among ponies grazing and giant trees with this Burley to Brockenhurst walk via Blackwater Arboretum. From open heathlands painted in yellow gorse to a forest made of exotic trees, this walk takes you places!
This walk is part II of a weekend away in the New Forest. The first day is a walk from Brockenhurst to Burley with a 3-course meals dinner in a restaurant in Burley and an overnight stay in a Youth Hotel.
To check the first part of the weekend away, click here. As the first walk ends in Burley, this is where I start this one. Of course, you can do it the other way around and start in Brockenhurst, but please remember that there are no train stations in Burley.
Disclaimer: Hiking groups may be organising the same or similar weekends away in the New Forest. For more information on these groups, please click here.
Logistics for the Burley to Brockenhurst Walk
- Distance: 10. 1miles (16.25 km)
- Ascent: 554 feet (168.9 m)
- Difficulty: Intermediate due to the distance but easy for the terrain
- Walking Estimate : 3 hours and 45 minutes at a speed of 5km/hour
- How to get there: Well, if you drive that’s fine. All you need to do is to get to Burley. If you don’t please note there is no train station in Burley. This means that what you can do (which is what I did ) is to spend the weekend in New Forest and stay overnight in Burley. On the way back, you find direct trains from Brockenhurst to Waterloo Station. The journey takes 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours and 10 minutes depending if you get a slow or a fast train.
- What to bring with you: As this walk is part of a weekend away in the New Forest with an overnight stay in a hostel, a day pack is sufficient. You need to pack extra thermals and socks to change for day 2, a sleeping bag liner, towel, toiletry, lunch and snacks. You can refill your water at the hostel. Don’t forget to bring an ID for the checking and money for any expenses during the trip.
- Additional information: There are public toilets available on this walk at the Blackwater Arboretum
Related content: What to wear on a day hike
Highlights of the Burley to Brockenhurst Walk
- Burley
- New Forest National Park
- New Forest heathlands
- Blackwater Arboretum
- Brockenhurst
The Burley to Brockenhurst Walk
Burley
Burley is a village in New Forest, Hampshire. The place was settled during the Bronze Age as shown by the discovery of 23 burial mounds in the area. The village is pretty small, with some shops, tea rooms and a large pub, the Queen’s Head. It is where during refurbishments, a secret cellar with pistols and coins was discovered, reinforcing the idea that Burley used to be a place frequented by smugglers.
You soon realise that the place is linked to witches based on the number of shops selling witch-related items in such a small place. In fact, in 1950, Sybil Leek, Britain’s most famous witch, lived in the village.
Burley is also famous for the legend of the Birstene Dragon, whose lair was in Burley. A knight killed the Dragon and its corpse fell near Lynhurst, creating a hill known as Boltons Bench. As for the poor knight, he was so distraught after the fight, that 30 days and 30 nights later, he went back to Bolton Bench to die alone. His body turned into a tree, which can still be seen at the top of the hill.
Burley to Blackwater Arboretum
We start our walk in Cott Lane where the Youth Hostel is located. When you come out of the hostel turn left onto Cott Lane. Get to the White Buck Hotel and then take Bennetts Lane. At the end of the lane, you enter the New Forest heathlands. The heathlands are man-made, with the landscape and colours changing throughout the seasons, from beautiful purple from the heathers in August to the yellow of the gorse in springtime. The heathlands are also the home of a diverse fauna of birds, reptiles and insects.
Walk across Mill Lawn Brook, and on the opposite side, take Mill Lane. From there, you leave the heathlands behind and enter the woodlands of Burley New Inclosure. Walk along the path in the forest, where you can encounter horses grazing.
After 3.3 miles (5.3 km) in the forest, you arrive at Blackwater Arboretum.
Blackwater Arboretum
The Blackwater Arboretum is an exotic forest of redwood trees and Douglas Fir trees. Back in the 1850s, it was “trendy” to plant exotic trees, such as trees from North America. The Blackwater Arboretum is the home of the two tallest trees in the New Forest National Park, measuring 50 meters high.
The most common game in the Blackwater Arboretum is to hug the tallest trees to see how many people it requires to close the loop around the tronc. You better bring a lot of friends along with you!
Back to Brockenhurst
Take the time to walk among the exotic trees before making your way to Brockenhurst.
When you exit the Blackwater Arboretum, via Pundhill Inclosure, continue walking in the woodlands area for a further 2 miles (3.2 km). You then enter a clearing, with green meadows and farmlands.
Continue on that path and you soon arrive in Queen Bower. Here you will find logs on the ground, the perfect spot for a break and even a nap.
After the break, follow Highlands Water for a little while.
In the end, is Obey Water. Cross over the bridge and on the other side, you enter the last stretch of heathlands before the end of the walk. Enjoy the walk and take a last look at the ponies grazing. Beware that during this final stretch of the walk on the wetland, so you might need to put on your gaiters depending on the season or the weather when you are doing this walk.
When you get to the end, you are in Brockenhurst. Take Rhinefield Road and then turn left onto Brookley Road.
What to do next?
Well, from there you have 2 options:
- Go to the train station and get back to London
- Go to the pub
Option 1
Continue walking on Brookley Road until you reach Albero Italian restaurant. Then, take the alleyway in front of the restaurant, which leads straight to the train station.
Option 2
If you want to enjoy the New Forest a little bit longer before making your way back home, go to the pub! At the end of Brookley Road, you find the Forester’s Arms pub. With outdoor seating, if the weather allows it, this is the perfect place for a post 2-day-long hike drink. And if you want to stay longer, the risotto is a dish to fall in love with!
Bon appetit!
Burley to Brockenhurst Walk Map
Want to do the same walk? Download the GPS map by clicking on the button below. Follow my step-by-step guide to learn how to upload it on your navigation app by clicking here.
Final Thoughts on the Burley to Brockenhurst Walk
This walk was the second part of a weekend away in New Forest. For the first part of the hike, check the below blog post:
And you, what is your favourite New Forest walk? Let me know in the comments below.
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