Misty Sway and the Disused Railway

Date 30 December 2008

Distance: 6 miles
Parking: New Forest Car Park Longslade Bottom
Map: Explorer OL22
Map ref for car park: SU269002

This walk is taken from the October 2008 edition of Country Walking magazine with a slight adaptation regarding the start point. Please see the publication for further details.

For the route I took, there is a bridge beyond the car park. Head towards this and climb the path left of the bridge up on to the disused railway trackbed. Soon come to another bridge with an electricity substation to the left. Just before the bridge descend the path to the right and follow the trail across the heathland and as it curves up through another car park to a barrier and the road.

Cross the road and take the left of two paths heading across more heathland. The path passes diagonally across the heath and in the distance to the south is seen Sway Tower. Keep heading towards the Tower. Outlaying houses of the village begin to show to the right. Come to and cross over a live-railway bridge and follow a grass track to the right into the village.

Pass the Hare and Hounds pub on the left. At the bottom of the slope turn right by the car sales showroom into Church Lane. Follow the road up, past St Luke's Church to a T-junction. Turn right here and keep along this road, past the railway station and where the road forks further on, take the left fork which is Mead End Road.

Continue up Mead End Road and turn right into Adlams Lane. The road becomes a bridleway and slopes down to two gates, the second of which enters Set Thorns Inclosure. The route follows the cycle trail. Where the trail forks in the earlier stages keep to the left hand path, ignore all other paths to right and left. Pass one cleared area, at the next cleared area where the path splits to either side of the point, follow the right hand, and better surfaced, way. Coming round past rising ground and pine trees on the right, the path slopes downward towards a caravan park. Pass to the left of the caravan park and through a gate up into open heathland. Ahead is the elevated line of the disused railway. Follow the path round (it is quite rutted in places) with the line of the railway on your right. Pass in front of the bridge and soon the path rises to access the railway trackbed. Turn right to cross over the bridge. Follow the track past the caravan site and under two bridges, the first is a footbridge, the second carries a road.

Emerge from the trees and ahead is the bridge started out from. Just before the bridge, descend the path to the right and return to the car park.

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Deerleap and Fulliford Bog-hopping

Date: 17th December 2008

Distance: 4 1/4 miles
Parking: Deerleap Car Park
Map: Explorer OL22 New Forest
Map ref for car park: SU353095

It is possible to negotiate the boggy areas as they are mostly firm underfoot but some athleticism may be required to jump over the wetter and very boggy puddles. Good waterproof walking boots are adviseable. If you are not confident about jumping about in a bog, it may be better to choose a circular route through Deerleap Inclosure along the cycle tracks, marked with red dots on the map.

Park in the lower area of the car park and face south east to see the lawn. Walk out on to the lawn and turn left heading south west, either along the footpath along the lawn or choose the better surface of the cycle track. The avenue keeps straight on between Deerleap Inclosure on the right and Longdown Inlcosure on the left. Soon go down into a dip and over a wide footbridge. Follow the path (you will now be on the cycle track) uphill past a gate on your right and pass through trees to the railway bridge. Cross over the railway bridge and come down to the stream through Fulliford Bog. Cross over the bridge and take the right hand track at a fork not shown on the map.

Soon pass a large pond on the left. Matley Wood is ahead. Continue towards Matley Wood until a path goes off to the right. The first part of the path may well be under water and surrounded by bog, although the line of the path is clear about 100 yards beyond. There is firm footing to be found although you will need to jump over some of the deeper and muddier water-logged areas. Treat it as a bit of fun and soon gain the better footing of the path ahead.

The path forms a sort of small gully uphill and then flattens out. Ahead is a line of trees beneath which runs a stream with a footbridge across. The path leads down to the bridge past a tumulus and a little further on, a small earthwork marked out with bracken.

The ground immediately after the bridge tends to be muddy but it is possible to get around this. The lawn beyond is wet but firm underfoot and the line of the continuing path is clear. Coming back to the path it follows the line of the fencing surrounding the land belonging to Ashurst Lodge, although towards the end where the ground rises, it may be necessary to divert off the path to find a firmer footing. Keep along by the wooden fencing and follow the path round into trees.

Ahead is a low barrier and a tarmac drive. Cross the drive and continue down through trees on a good path which bears round to the left. White-painted fencing lines the path further on where the path rises to a bridge over the railway. The metalwork on the bridge is painted pale blue and makes a pretty and unexpected feature. The white fencing continues down the other side and then stops. Ahead the path turns right through a gate into Deerleap Inclosure and on to well-surfaced cycle track. With basic map-reading skills, you can choose your own path through the Inclosure, but I'd had enough of mud-hopping by this time and chose to follow the cycle track that runs parallel to the railway line. This track eventually rises to a gate out to the railway bridge end of the lawned avenue between Deerleap and Longdown Inclosures. Just before the exit, the cycle track turns sharply left back up into the Inclosure. Beyond the gate, turn left on to the cycle track which runs back across the wide footbridge and uphill along the lawn, leading back to the car park.


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