How to walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington in the New Forest

1.4K

This was my last walk of this trip in the New Forest. I decided to make the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington a point to point walk instead of a circular as both towns are connected by a train. So I could walk the route, then get the train back. 

What was the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington like?

This walk turned out to be the wettest of all of them. With huge puddles and sections of the trail completely flooded. 

In an effort to avoid walking in the water I got myself a big scratch on barbed wire. I got cornered by a very inquisitive horse, I got chased by a dog, I got barked at by a lot of angry dogs. Somehow I managed to keep my feet dry. 

My shoes

I was so lucky to be able to wear my hiking boots because as it turned out, they were essential. Let me explain a little bit about what I mean by this.

I have had an Achilles tendon injury for a while, and what I have been finding is for the past couple of months, if I wear my hiking boots one day, then the next day it hurts too much and I need to switch to trainers. 

After my last trip to the New Forest, and running out of dry footwear because my hiking shoes only lasted one use, I had brought multiples shoes with me for this trip. Day one I would wear the hiking boots, then switch to trainers once my tendon was flared up. I had enough trainers for a pair a day, as I knew each day they would get soaked through.

Well, for the first time, I had been able to wear my hiking boots each day on this New Forest trip.

Logistics for the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington 

• Start: Brockenhurst train station
• Finish: Lymington
• How to get there: You can get to Brockenhurst train station in 1.5 hours direct from London Waterloo, 15 min (give or take a few minutes) from Southampton. Brockenhurst and Lymington are connected by a train with a journey time of 9 min. 
• Distance: 7 miles
• Time: Just under 3 hours
• Terrain: Muddy, wet, flooded at times. Dirt trails.
• Tips: If it’s been raining recently, wear good waterproof shoes. Beware of the barbed wire….carry first aid just incase.
• Season: I walked this during winter. Which I think might be why there was so much water and flooded areas. 

Map route for the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington

If following Google maps, click on the right box in the top corner to open in your maps.

More walking ideas for the New Forest will be at the end

The start of the Brockenhurst to Lymington walk

This walk starts from Brockenhurst train station and you cross over the road to walk along church lane. My last (and only other) experience of church lane was when I walked along it on my way back to Brockenhurst from Beaulieu.

In the dark.

Walking uphill and past the church and graveyard, it was slightly less spooky than the last time.

And then I saw something I had forgotten about….

The giant puddle. 

After turning off the road onto the little trail through the gate, I saw the giant puddle. The giant puddle which in order to cross, I had to scrape myself along the spiky bushes to avoid walking in the water. The last time I found myself here, I had leggings on. Today I had shorts. 

I managed to get across this time without doing too much damage, but then not far ahead there was another puddle. This one was bigger than it was last time. But what made it worse was that useless plank of wood in the middle. Like it was placed there to taunt me. Too far in to be of any use to walk across. 

After getting across the water again, I thought that would be it. The worst of the puddles. But as it turns out, they were only preparing me for the big one to come later. 

Roydon Woods

The trail then leads through a gate and into Roydon Woods. Here the trail was pretty simple to follow. Starting off as dirt/mud trail, leading to gravel trail.

Walking through the woodland of mostly leafless trees, winter felt well and truly here. It was an overcast day, the ground was covered in dead leaves. The trees with their leafless branches were sort of skeletal like.

What did stick out amongst the leafless trees, what was truly alive and kicking, were the holly bushes. It is Christmas after all (note: I have released this post 2 months late. Sorry). That and a few mini trees with their peach coloured leaves.

After walking under more trees and a holly bush tunnel, things open up with a view to the right of open field and very very tall trees.

There is a gate along here, but don’t go through it. Instead, continue straight with the fence to your right, then exit at the next gate.

The maze

Through the field and at the next road, the trail continues directly across and through a little gate. This trail has neat bushes on either side. It felt a little bit like I was walking in a maze. Ah, memories. It’s been many years since I have walked in a maze. Not that I used to frequent mazes. But I can recall a few mazes from my youth. 

This section of the walk is actually very nicely laid out. Once out of the ‘maze’, the trail takes you across quite a few small roads, but it’s very easy to follow. It goes something like this:

Trail, gate, road, gait, trail, gait, road, gait, trail…..

You will see what I mean when you do it.

Mud patches

It had been a while now since my last wet and mud encounter, so some was due….

The trail then led through a field with some lovely houses on the perimeter, and then upon reaching the next gate crossing, I made sure to look back and had a gorgeous view through the bushes to some houses across the field.

The Lamas or alpacas. One of them.

As I followed the trail as it made its way through a bush/tree tunnel, I thought about how I do love a good tree or bush tunnel, and this trail so far had not disappointed. 

What surprised me though was what I saw when I got to the other end. I noticed further along the trail, a few people staring into a field. I wondered what they could be looking at. What was so interesting? Then as I got closer and was able to see in the field, I realised. It was lamas or are they alpacas? 

I was a little surprised because these are not English animals. 

At the end of the lama/alpaca field I reached the main road. I did not enjoy the next bit at all….

The scary dogs

First off, to reach the trail again, it wasn’t nicely laid out opposite like it had been so far. I mean, I’m just being lazy here. It’s only a short walk left and then a right opposite the pub. 

This is where I started my walk along the backs of houses. This is also where I passed lots of backyards with dogs, who really did not like my presence. There were wooden and metal fences keeping the dogs in, but that didn’t stop them trying to get me. Running alongside the fences, trying to get at me through the gaps. 

I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared, and I was considering turning back and finding another way. I kept thinking about what if a dog did manage to get through and get to me.

However, I didn’t want to be defeated by the dogs, so I kept my head down and power walked until I was out of it, and safely into another bush tunnel. 

Ah, it was like the bush tunnel was put here to calm me down.

The horses/ponies

I continued along as the trail led to an opening with some chill horses/ponies on the green, and then a few more horses/ponies hanging out by the houses.

This is where I joined the road and followed it over the bridge with a cool view of the train tracks down below.

Jealous lane and the half way point on the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington

I thought I was done with the angry dogs, however, at the next house, I was suddenly startled by the dog barking at me through the fence. I didn’t like it so I hurried on past to make a left turn onto Jealous lane, marking the halfway point on the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington.

Jealous lane. I wonder how this name came to be. Did a jealous person once live on this lane? 

Fun fact: I had a google and couldn’t find a reasoning for the name, but what I did find out is that it is the only road in England with this name. 

Actually, when I did a google I also found out something quite horrible. I don’t want to say it, but if you have a google then you will see.

The walk along Jealous lane was a little muddy. Nothing I couldn’t handle. I was quite experienced with mud at this point.

Another scary dog

At the end of Jealous lane, I mistakingly took the road directly opposite (what I should have done was taken the road just to the right of it).

As I made my way up the road I noticed some houses up ahead. This was my first inkling I had gone the wrong way. Rather than turn back I continued a bit further on to see, which is when I saw the dog. He proceeded to bark and chase me back down the street. 

That was not fun. 

At this point, I thought back to the dog I had encountered on the Brockenhurst Village walk. That dog which I thought was scary turned out to be so cute and friendly and wanted to play. The dogs on this walk were not like that at all. They were too aggressive for my liking. 

More cute homes

After turning back and taking the correct turn (see above), the trail led up hill and to some more houses.

At the end, the correct trail is very easily missable. You would think you follow the road around, but no. Just to the left of the lovely house, there is a very small trail through a gate. 

With my dog encounters so far, I was expecting another one in this house to come for me. But no. No dog came for me. A nice home and no dog. I was happy.

This trail then leads to an open field, and if you follow the perimeter you should reach this small little trail on the other side, with the bucket.

For the majority of the walking I have done in the New Forest, there hasn’t been a lot of signage. I mean, there has been some, but not much in comparison to other places I have walked. Well, from this point on there was significantly more (see the little circles on the stubs of wood). 

The flood

Then I hit the flooded bit. I had a look at the map to figure out a way around, but it seemed my only other option was to walk quite far back on myself and take a completely different route. 

I did not like that option so I decided to tackle the flood.

The only way across (other than walking in the water) was to climb up onto a bank on the right. 

Not as easy as it sounds though. 

It was steep. Steep enough that it wouldn’t be possible without grabbing onto something. Luckily there were some branches of trees sticking out for me to pull myself across. Unluckily there was also barbed wire running beside it. 

As I carefully made my way across, most of the time my gaze down at my feet to watch my step, I saw the barbed wire, but it was too late.

Getting cut by barbed wire

It sort of happened in slow motion, as I watched the spike of the wire run across my leg. I knew this could be bad, however, for a brief moment, I was relieved to see that it didn’t seem to have punctured the skin….

Then all of a sudden the blood came. 

I couldn’t really tend to it as I was precariously standing on the edge of a steep bank with stagnant water below waiting for me if I fell. 

I did safely make it across, and just as I did, a couple wearing wellies came up behind me and walked right through the water. 

Actually, even once out of the danger zone I couldn’t really do anything with my cut as I don’t carry first aid stuff with me. 

I never have. 

I will now.

Although, I didn’t really care much about the cut, I was more concerned with tetanus. I was 70% sure that my last tetanus shot was about 5 years ago. It turns out it wasn’t, but I will get to that later…

The horse (or pony)

Although I had just gotten a big cut, I was really happy. I had made it across the impassable flood, and quite soon after I came across a beautiful friendly horse (or pony).

It was in a big muddy field. The kind of field where I stuck to the edges to avoid the extra muddy bits. However, there was a horse/pony in my path. The horse/pony decided to walk over to me blocking my route. 

When I would try to move around, the horse wouldn’t let me…and got very close. That is until the people behind me entered the field and the horse lost interest and went over to them.

Just like that horse (pony) on the Lyndhurst Parish walk. There seems to be a pattern emerging here.

The not very impressed walkers

Once out of the field and slightly further along the trail, those walkers caught up and overtook me. The women asked me why I was taking lots of photos. I told her I like taking photos. She asked me what I do with them? Do I like to look back and remember the walk? I told her I write a blog and I put them in there. 

She didn’t say anything else and continued on walking….I don’t think she was very impressed.

Reaching the end of the Brockenhurst to Lymington walk

The remainder of the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington is a bit more open, walking alongside fields with a gorgeous blue sky emerging.

As I entered Lymingington looking a bit dishevelled and muddy with blood running down my leg, I certainly got a lot of stares from anyone I passed by. They were mostly staring at my leg. I felt almost…proud. It was an impressive looking war wound.

What happened after the walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington….

So the whole barbed wire cut and tetanus thing. Well, there is a whole drama to that. Once I reached Lymington, I popped into Boots to get something completely unrelated to the cut. I didn’t care about the cut anymore. It had now scabbed over so couldn’t be cleaned anyway.

The pharmacist saw it and told me to get some cleaning stuff and gave me some dressing for it. 

He then asked me about the tetanus thing. I told him I got my jab 5 years ago but this is where he tells me I need to get a booster. Ya know, because it’s a risky cut etc.

Getting back to London

Ok. I was due to get back into London the next morning a few hours before work. The plan was to pop into a walk in clinic then.

The next day my train got cancelled. 

Once I did make it back to London, there was no time to go to the walk in clinic. So my next plan was to go after work.

I didn’t really want to go after work, you can be sitting for hours in a walk in clinic and I wasn’t even really sure I needed the shot.

So I called 111. It’s the number you call if you need medical advice. I explained the situation and just wanted to know if I needed a jab. The women then tells me I need to get to A&E within the next hour.

I laughed and told her I don’t.

She was insistent that I had to go.

This conversation went on for longer than it needed to, her telling me to go to A&E, me telling her no.

I left it at that and decided to just go to the walk in clinic as originally planned. There was one on my route back home from work.

So, upon arrival in the clinic that evening, there were so many people waiting to be seen that they had closed check in and were not accepting any more people.

At this point, I was getting bored of the whole thing and decided I didn’t need a booster. 

But I did…

Once at home, nice and relaxed, cooking my dinner it suddenly dawned on me that I have my vaccination records here. Maybe I should check.

Low and behold I discover that I was not up to date with my tetanus jab. Cue an urgent trip to a private walk in clinic for a very expensive vaccination….that vaccination cost the same amount as my whole trip to the New Forest.

Well, now that I’m vaccinated, I can go and get lots of cuts….Need to get my moneys worth

Other walks in the New Forest

You can read a little summary about 6 walks from Brockenhurst I have so far completed, which will have links to the full walk descriptions with maps.

Or for a bigger summary, you could read about the best walks in the New Forest. This will also have links to all of them with full walk descriptions and maps.

Alternatively, you can check out the New Forest website for more walking ideas.

Pin it for later: Walk from Brockenhurst to Lymington in the New Forest