Shatterford and Denny Wood
Children will enjoy the series of bridges and casueways as well as opportunities to spot New Forest ponies on this walk.
The Basics
Time: 1.5 hrs
Distance: 4km
Terrain: Mainly flat heathland and woodland, but can be very wet in winter
Pushchair: No
Dogs: Yes, but they should be on leads through spring early summer due to ground nesting birds
Refreshments: Picnic near car park or The Drift pub is about 100 metres down the road from Shatterford Car Park
Parking: Shatterford car park, west of Beaulieu Road Station (Postcode: So42 7YQ - W3W means/trendy/stickler) . Or arrive by train to Beaulieu Road Station, a short walk away.
Please note the car park is usually closed from around March to early summer to keep the area quiet for ground nesting birds.
This walk takes in both the heathland and the woodland of the the New Forest as well as wildlife rich marshland and pools.
The Route
Head off by the wooden barrier and cross the heath, keeping parallel to the railway. Follow the path over a gravelled causeway and bridge as it then begins to veer away from the railway. The path will continue over two more bridges and passes ponds and marshland on either side.
After the second bridge, the track begins to enter woodland. Continue through the trees towards the boundary of Denny Lodge Inclosure. Follow the path as it curves right and keep the boundary of Denny Wood in sight to your left.
Cross two more little footbridges as the path begins to head right. You will then cross three more of these little bridges before the path arrives at the woodland straight ahead.
Here you need to pick out the long narrow hump of Bishop’s Dyke running along the edge of the wood. It looks like a line of raised ground. Turn right and keep the earthwork to your right until you shortly begin to make out a more obvious forest path that you can follow.
Keep the egde of the forest to your right until, after a little climb, the path turns right and exits the trees into open heathland. Follow the wide track across the heath. The group of trees around the car park and the train station should be visible in the distance for you to aim towards. The group of tall trees beside the car park makes a lovely spot for a play and a picnic at the end of the walk.
We recommend viewing the interactive map as a Trails Map:
Did you know?
According to local legend, the dyke was built by John de Pontoise, Bishop of Winchester. He was given permission to take as much land as he could crawl around in a day. He spent twenty-four hours on his hands and knees and created the earthwork to mark out his prize.