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Brockenhurst to Burley - The Old Railway Cycle Route New Forest

8.7 miles (14 km)

Ordnance Survey Map Open Streetmap This route follows National Cycle Route 2 from Brockenhurst to Burley. The route is also known as the Castleman's Corkscrew.
The route runs for just over 8 miles following a series of country lanes and off road forest trails between the two New Forest towns. Much of the route is traffic free along an old railway line so also makes for a pleasant walk.
Starting off near the train station in Brockenhurst follow a country lane south to the golf course and Lymington Junction. Here you pick up a traffic free trail running west along the old Southampton to Dorchester Railway Line. It will pass Blackhamsley Hill and Wilverley Plain to Holmsley. You then turn north to follow another country lane north to Holmsley Bog and Goatspen Plain before coming into Burley.

Brockenhurst to Burley OS Map Ordnance survey map - Mobile GPS OS Map with Location tracking

Brockenhurst to Burley Open Street Map Open Streetmap - Mobile GPS Map with Location tracking

Further Information and Other Local Ideas

Head a few miles west to Ringwood and you can continue your riding along the railway on the Castleman Trailway. The 15 mile trail will take you to the south coast town of Poole, passing some lovely country parks on the way.

Photos

The Old Mill, Brockenhurst, New Forest - geograph.org.uk - 170824

The Old Mill, Brockenhurst, New Forest. View across a pasture field from a field gate on Mill Lane, towards the timbered Old Mill buildings alongside the Lymington River. The mill is marked as a "saw mill" on the 1940s OS map, and nowadays is a private residence.

Hincheslea, old railway bridge - geograph.org.uk - 1527171

Hincheslea, old railway bridge. Once a bridge taking the Lymington to Ringwood Railway over Hincheslea Bog, now used by cyclists and walkers.

Off-road cycle path, near Cater's Cottage, New Forest - geograph.org.uk - 305653

Off-road cycle path, near Cater's Cottage, New Forest. Here the cycle path from Lymington Junction makes a sharp right and left and joins the route of the old railway line through Hincheslea Bog towards Holmsley. The waymarked gravel paths are permitted routes for cycling in the open Forest - the Forest by-laws prohibit cycling off these routes, although this doesn't stop a significant number of people from doing it.

The Burley Fountain - Main Street, Burley - geograph.org.uk - 911279

The Burley Fountain

Ponies grazing in Longslade Bottom, New Forest - geograph.org.uk - 305633

Ponies grazing in Longslade Bottom. These ponies are grazing on the edge of heathland in Longslade Bottom. The tree-covered embankment on the left is the disused railway line, which now serves as an off-road cycle-route to Lymington Junction south of Brockenhurst.

Heathland, Oaken Bottom, New Forest - geograph.org.uk - 305598

Heathland, Oaken Bottom. The trees on the left are on the edge of the Set Thorns Inclosure, hiding Oaken Bottom Caravan Site. In the foreground is bracken-covered sandy heath (alongside the disused railway line) and beyond the heather-covered heath.

Holmsley Bog, New Forest - geograph.org.uk - 624560

Holmsley Bog. The Scots pine is standing in the bog, with the disused railway line (now an off-road cycle route) beyond. Holmsley Station (now a cafe) is off to the left.

Holmsley, dismantled level crossing - geograph.org.uk - 2635525

Holmsley, dismantled level crossing

Video

GPS Files

GPX File

Brockenhurst to Burley.gpx (On Desktop:Right Click>Save As. On Ipad/Iphone:Click and hold>Download Linked File)