5 Boxing Day Walks in the New Forest

Winter in the New Forest is a magical time filled by frosty dawns, spectral mists and starry nights. Quiet descends upon the woodland glades, wetlands and heaths, and much of the wildlife is sleeping. It’s an ideal opportunity to walk peacefully along the many tracks and trails that weave around this majestic national park, a chance to reflect on the year it’s been and your hopes for 2022.

Here are a handful of beautiful winter strolls for you and your loved ones to discover over the festive season….

Wilverley Inclosure

A well-trod and much-loved walk beneath towering canopies and with plenty of benches on route. What better way to burn off your Yule Tide excesses than a hearty stroll round some of the New Forest’s most venerated treescapes. The trail is approximately three and a half miles long and you are very likely to come across fallow deer grazing in the glades and pastures, so keep your camera handy. The Old Station House tearooms at Holmsley provides a popular stop for weary ramblers in need of a hug in a mug, a characterful Victorian venue and a great place to warm your festive cockles. Follow the waymarked trail and discover Wilverley’s incredible seasonal views.

Lymington & Keyhaven Marshes

If fresh sea air is what you’re in need of, a Boxing Day outing to Lymington and Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve could be the ideal way to shake off those Christmas indulgences. Along this circular route you can expect to see an array of wildfowl on the saltmarsh and mudflats, including black-tailed godwits, avocets, eiders, redshank, also marsh harriers, merlins and peregrine falcons. Big skies and stunning views await all those who pick up the Solent Way before pursuing the waymarks along historic drovers’ trails, sunken holloways and ancient highways. This breathtaking loop amounts to about four miles. Look out for Hurst Castle on the seaward end of its coastal spit, the chalky rocks of the Isle of Wight, and the iconic sea stacks known as The Needles. It’s got all the makings of a wintery and wonderful family adventure.

Acres Down

A beautiful woodland trail not far from the historic town of Lyndhurst. This easy-going loop is just over four kilometres in distance along wide and well-maintained gravel tracks. This popular stroll lies close to the New Forest hamlet of Minstead (perhaps best known for being the burial site for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was laid to rest in the 13th century All Saints Church) and is considered one of the most picturesque corners of the forest.

The walk takes in a combination of pine, ancient and ornamental woodland, and you can expect to see ponies and deer grazing the heathland. The car park is located off Forest Road down a small lane between Stoney Cross and Emery Down which runs through a ford. Follow the waymark to Bolder Wood and keep to the track as it laces its way to Puckpits Inclosure, home to spectacular larches, black pines, Norway spruce which stand nearly fifty metres tall. A truly stunning trail.

Fritham Walk

The roaming heaths of Fritham Plain and the inclosures of Amberwood and Sloden await all those who embark on a Boxing Day walk around this timeless parish. Set out from the car park off Howen Bushes to follow the weaving circular route crossing babbling brooks as your make your way towards Alderhill and take in the views from Gaze Hill. This enchanting trail takes approximately two hours to complete, and you will likely encounter deer and wild ponies grazing on the frosty stubble. The Royal Oak pub in Fritham is a popular staging post for ramblers, the perfect place to thaw out with a hot chocolate in a cosy corner. The terrain is mostly gravel tracks, but it sometimes gets muddy so wellies are advisable. Remember to wrap up warm.

Burley Walk

Starting on the eastern fringes of Burley village, this shorter walk takes in the New Forest’s wetlands and peat bogs as well as leafy bridles and heather-bound heathland. The twinkling verglas and frost-baked loam all add to the wintery atmosphere as you walk beneath the witch finger branches. Sandy tracks and gorse corridors take you down the valley (Shappen Bottom), picking up the old railway line and listening out for the woodlarks and warblers while admiring the purple hues of the moor-grass. The loop is about two and half miles long and you can reward yourselves with a festive tipple in the comfy armchairs of the historic Queens Head pub, a former blacksmiths dating back to the 1600s. Or, perhaps you’d prefer a mince pie served up with lashings of Dorset clotted cream at one of Burley’s numerous tearooms.

Enjoy your right to roam and always stick to the Countryside Code and follow the advice of the New Forest National Park.