Hampshire Riviera Express (Brockenhurst-Lymington)

The Hampshire Riviera Express

This is a one-way leisurely walk taking in the delights of the southern part of the New Forest.

Note: although 'leisurely' is the grading, which indicates unchallenging terrain and incline, it should not be seen to mean a leisurely pace. 4050s typically walk at a moderately brisk pace. If you have any concerns about fitness/capability please contact the walk leader in advance.

We meet at Brockenhurst Station Platform 4, where our adventures begin by catching the 0959 train to Lymington Town. This rail journey has been voted one of the most picturesque in the UK.

We arrive in Lymington and start our walk into this picturesque town. Heading towards the yacht club, if we are lucky we may see one of the renowned Wightlink ferries coming into port, a crossing  to the Isle of Wight famed for being the most expensive per mile in the world! We then pass the RNLI centre where there is the opportunity for a short toilet break and a quick peek at the RNLI rib if the centre is open.

We will then pass various tidal lagoons famous for birds (bring your binoculars if you are a twitcher) as we follow the Solent Way, then inland passing around the suburban sprawl of Lower and Upper Pennington, through forestry and open grassland.

Next we enter working farmland used for growing crops and raising horses, then follow the railway for a short distance before crossing and entering Forestry Commission land of mostly spruce and pine. We follow the bridleway north towards Brockenhurst, at its end encountering the oldest church in the New Forest: St Nicholas Church has existed since before 1086. It is also a site of Commonwealth war graves and a commemoration of New Zealand soldiers who were cared for and died at the New Zealand General Hospital. We learn more about Brockenhurst’s strong connection with that country at the end of the walk.

We aim to mark the end of the walk at Esme’s tea room for a tea/coffee and cake.

Note: there is parking available at Brockenhurst Station but we strongly encourage walkers to take the train to Brockenhurst to reduce the impact on our precious environment.

If taking the train, please buy a return ticket to Lymington as this is cheaper than buying separate tickets. If travelling with 4 or more people, ticket discounts are available using ‘groupsave’ tickets.

The following trains arrive at Brockenhurst in time:

From Poole (0855), Bournemouth (0906) – Arriving 0932 into Brockenhurst

From Southampton (0935) – arriving into Brockenhurst at 0956

Meet Point (Description): Brockenhurst Railway station, platform 4

Grid Reference/Postcode: SU301019/ SO42 7TW (station approach)

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Any additional guidance to reach meet point:

Please car share wherever possible to lighten our carbon footprint!

Booking info

Please buy (free) tickets via Ticket Tailor using the following link:

https://buytickets.at/walksfordorset4050ramblers/1612616

Numbers are limited at the discretion of the walk leader. Anyone turning up without booking beyond the planned maximum for the walk may not be permitted to start.

If you cannot attend please cancel your ticket through the site so others can take a place.

If any issues please contact the walk leader.

Leader: Amit

Contact number: 07378323782

What you need to consider:

• Bring packed lunch – there are brief drink/snack stops
• Toilet visit – Brockenhurst station and in Lymington
• Good walking boots/shoes – be prepared for anything!
• Bring enough drink for the walk
• Dogs – assistance dogs only please