Sturt Pond Accessible Trail
Sturt Pond is a tidal inlet and a fantastic place to see a wide range of birds.
For a shorter walk, staying on surfaced paths, head west (keeping the sea on your left) and saunter past the bowling green with views of the White House before heading back to the car park and café.
The walk takes in views of the Isle of Wight ‘Needles’ – chalk formations known as stacks. They take their name from a large needle-shaped pillar that was part of the group until 1764, when it collapsed in a storm. The treacherous area around The Needles has caused numerous wrecks, going back hundreds of years.
Trail information:
- Start/finish: Hurst Road East Amenity Car Park. Grid reference SZ 276 918 what3words.com/structure.showering.skyrocket
- Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest.
- Distance:5 miles (2.4 km) – 1-2 hours.
- Local facilities: The car park has nine accessible bays, easy access toilets and a café
- Accessibility: This route uses pavement and quiet roads before heading onto gravel. Some wheelchair and mobility scooter users may have difficulty where the gravel is loose in these areas.
Directions
- From the car park
From the Cafe and the adjacent car park, keep the sea on your right and follow the tarmac path up to the road. Follow the pavement along the road until the surfaced path ends, then cross over the road and head towards the restaurant
- Toward Sturt Pond
Continue past the restaurant, through the car park and onto the wide dirt and shingle track, alongside Sturt Pond. Follow the path alongside Sturt Pond, passing by the first wooden bridge. Continue along the path until you reach a second wooden footbridge
- Views of Hurst Castle
From the bridge head right, up the short shingle ramp to enjoy the spectacular coastal view. You can retrace your steps or walk on top of the shingle bank for coastal views. On returning, you can take the upper path by the beach huts, past the bowling green for a longer walk and access to public toilets.
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New Forest code
Please be aware of the New Forest code when walking in the National Park.
