Buckland Rings Trail

From the village of Brockenhurst this walk passes through Roydon Woods nature reserve over Setley Plain and onto Buckland Rings, the site of a former Iron Age hill fort near Lymington.

This is part of the Rail Trail series of walks from the Lymington-Brockenhurst branch line.

Overview

Start: Brockenhurst Railway Station, SO42 7TW
Finish: Lymington Town Railway Station, SO41 9AU
Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest
Getting there: Take the mainline to Brockenhurst Railway Station
Distance: 6.8 miles (10.9 km)
Duration: 2-3 hours
Local facilities: Public toilets in Lymington, near St Barbe Museum. Train and bus transport to start of walk
Accessibility: Moderate walk

Directions

Directions

Brockenhurst Train Station

Come out of the train station on the South side and cross the road passing by Mill Lane on your left and continuing along the grassy verge until you reach Church Lane, signed from the road as ‘St Nicholas Parish Church’.

Church Lane

Walk down Church Lane, looking out for the church itself on the left-hand side. The lane gradually bends round to the right and opens out with a farm on the right and fields to the left. Take the track down between the fields, marked as a public bridleway.

Roydon Woods

Follow the bridleway south entering Roydon Woods, a National Nature Reserve. Keep following the bridleway straight along until you reach a vehicle track. Turn left and follow that track down through the woodland. Go straight ahead at the next path junction, ignoring the lefthand turn. The path forks soon after that. Take the right-hand fork and the path eventually leaves the forest, opening up into fields. At the signpost keeping going straight ahead and follow the main path into Sandy Down.

Sandy Down

Come out the little wooden kissing gate onto Sandy Down Lane. Cross straight over going through another kissing gate opposite. The path heads south, crossing over Lower Sandy Lane and heads down, over a footbridge then up across fields before becoming more enclosed and then reaching the A337.

The Rosey Lea Tea Room

Turn left through the gate and walk down the verge to the Rosey Lea Tea House. A break here is certainly recommended! To continue the walk, stand at the Rosey Lea sign and peer across the road to locate the small path passing by the North wall of The Well House. The A337 is a busy road so please take care crossing.

Over the Railway Line

Head along the enclosed footpath until you emerge onto the open grazed lands of the New Forest. Veer right to go round the houses then back left to follow a wide track which goes over the top of the railway line. This track is known as Jealous Lane. Follow Jealous Lane down past houses taking a sharp right directly after the houses.

Shirley Holms

Jealous Lane ends at Shirley Holms Lane. The route continues ahead bearing right slightly (not straight ahead over the cattlegrid which is someone’s driveway!). Follow the track along past various large houses before joining a public footpath which takes you down towards Mount Pleasant Farm

The Serpentine

Leave the farm fields and turn left and Mount Pleasant Lane. Head down the lane for about 10 yards before turning right down a short lane with buildings on the right. Head straight on picking up a public footpath and continuing straight, keeping the garage on your right. After walking through a small wood you appear in fields. Head out of the fields, up to the track and turn left down the track follow the public footpath, known as ‘The Serpentine’.

Buckland Manor Farm

Keep following the path South, crossing Sway Road and heading towards Lymington. After a lovely walk beside Yaldhurst Copse you’ll hit a small junction. Go right at the junction (not over the small bridge) and keep going straight ahead at the next junction heading through the old farmyard of Buckland Manor Farm.

Buckland Rings

Walk down the lane until you reach Sway Lane again. The wooden kissing gate opposite leads across fields to the Iron Age Hill fort. Please be careful crossing the road as it can be very busy.