We’re a Ramblers group aimed mainly at people in their 20s, 30s and slightly older, offering led walks and social events across Herts, Beds and south Cambs.
An early-autumnal Weekend Away in Brockenhurst, in the heart of the New Forest National Park, Hampshire. This should be comparatively quick to get to from Stag Walkers territory by car or train, so we can get a walk in on Friday afternoon between checking in and dinner, and on Sunday do a decent distance and still be home by early evening.
The New Forest is a mixture of fairly flat open heathlands and mixed forest, all crisscrossed by numerous streams and broad sandy tracks; and home to the famous New Forest wild horses. With a month still to go before the clocks change there will still be plenty of daylight, with the sun setting at 18:50. Fingers crossed for an Indian summer!
Friday 27th September, 4pm, Brockenhurst station, SO42 7TW
6 mile (leisurely) afternoon stroll round nearby heathland; finishing in time for a costume change before dinner at Enzees pizzeria back next to the station at 19:45.
Saturday 28th September, 10:30am, green notice boards with two round plaques next to Tesco Express, 29-31 Brookley Rd, Brockenhurst SO42 7RB
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13.5 miles (moderate) (or just 7 miles, getting train back at half-way point) walk across wide heaths, streams and mixed woodland, encompassing the full variety of New Forest habitats and a mid-way pub. A fair distance but easy terrain.
Dinner at The Huntsman inn (SO42 7RH) at 7pm. Once you have joined the event PLEASE ADVISE YOUR NAME AND FOOD CHOICE BY 15th AUGUST.
Sunday 29th September, 10:45am, Balmer Lawn car park, Brockenhurst SO42 7ZB
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9 miles (moderate), through Blackwater Arboretum and a giant redwood plantation.
The startpoint serves as a place for drivers to move their cars to after checking out if necessary.
Walk Leader: Thomas A
Accommodation
You are responsible for booking your own accomodation.
There are lots of places to stay in Brockenhurst to suit different styles & budgets.
The cheapest option is Hollands Wood campsite - preferably choose a pitch at the south end of the site to reduce distance back into town (22 min walk from site entrance to station; 32 mins from the north end).
Next cheapest are a couple whole-property AirBnBs when shared by several people, and single-room AirBnBs.
There are also various hotels ranging from moderately to very expensive.
To be walking distance from start points & dinners, look along or just west of the A337 between the railway station and camp site.
Booking
The weekend is exclusive to current (paid-up) members of Ramblers. Space is limited to 15 people and must be booked via Meetup.
Book your place by clicking the ‘Attend’ button and if the event is full, click ‘join waitlist’ and you will be added if a place becomes available.
Please book only if confident you can attend and remember to update your RSVP if you have to cancel.
Travel by car
Brockenhurst is 116 miles / a bit over 2h on a clear run from Hitchin via the M1, M25 & M3. We encourage drivers to car-share and split the fuel cost.
Travel by Train
Brockenhurst has a railway station and is within the Network Southeast area. The line Brockenhurst is on starts at London Waterloo. Advance return tickets from Hitchin cost £44-£50 with a Railcard (limited availability). From Hitchin it is roughly 3h with 2 or 3 changes.
If you work in London, the journey from Waterloo is only 1h30m, so could potentially be done after work on Friday 27th and still arrive by 7:30pm - dinner will be right next to the station at 7:45pm.
Any questions?
If you've not been to a Stag Walkers weekend away before, they are a great chance to explore somewhere new and to spend some time socialising with other members of the group.
If you have any questions about the weekend, please post on the Meetup event page.
About Stag Walkers
We are a Ramblers group aimed mainly at 20s and 30s but all are welcome and we have members of all ages. We run weekly walks, on Saturdays or Sundays, varying in length from around 5 to 15 miles, and we host regular social nights. Walks and socials generally take place across Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire and south Cambridgeshire.
For details of how to join Ramblers and how much it costs please see the website.
Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire. Please read the main description for walk start points and times.
