New Forest Tour

Cycle-touring, Expeditions, Adventures, Major cycle routes NOT LeJoG (see other special board)
Deevoy88
Posts: 12
Joined: 21 Nov 2014, 12:33pm

New Forest Tour

Post by Deevoy88 »

Me and a friend are going to tour the new forest in may this year. We are going to be starting and having our first stop in Ashurst. Other then that we dont really have a plan for the route :D
Is there anything that people would recommend like a campsite or attraction? Also time depending may pop over to the Isle of Wight for a few days as this will hopefully be a 2 week tour.
Any ideas are most welcome.
Thanks alot
I may go slow, but I am happy
User avatar
honesty
Posts: 2658
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 3:33pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by honesty »

Love the new forest. Used to go there for Easter holidays when we were kids.

Ornamental drive is very nice, if sometimes a little busy.
Lymington is nice, and you can get the ferry to the isle of wight from there.
As we,d generally stay in Brokenhurst there's a great walk from there (and a caravan club site I think!) across to the pub at Bank. My grandparents used to stay at a camp site called Holidays hill which was a fantastic site. Sadly it was closed by the forestry commission, but you can still go there to see the adder pits.
Bucklers Hard is a rather nice village to visit as well.
yakdiver
Posts: 1466
Joined: 12 Jul 2007, 2:54pm
Location: North Baddesley Hampshire

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by yakdiver »

TonyR
Posts: 5390
Joined: 31 Aug 2008, 12:51pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by TonyR »

Worth knowing that there are a lot of off-road cycle routes in the Forest and they are all of the sort you can take a road bike on without problems so consider including some of those in your route. But best stick to the marked ones and the Rangers get a bit upset if you wander off them.

The ride from Bolderwood down the Rhinefield ornamental drive to Brockenhurst is nice. You can return off road to Lyndhurst and then via Emerson Down with a possible detour to the Oak in Bank.
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by tatanab »

Do not forget the area in the north of the forest - NE of Ringwood. Geographically very different to the south.
mercalia
Posts: 14630
Joined: 22 Sep 2013, 10:03pm
Location: london South

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by mercalia »

Burley has a useful YHA that allows camping that is nicely situated for walks - so you have all the amenities at a good price - inside members kitchen and free showers. I Used it as a base some time ago and had a good time riding around
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by hamster »

All the FC campsites are fairly basic with Portakabins for the washrooms etc. If you are arrving by car then it helps can run to taking a chemical loo and tent then there are some nicer sites like Setthorns. Avoid Holmsley as it is in the landing flightpath of Bournemouth Airport with Ryanair flights arriving as late as midnight.

The private sites have nicer facilities but are more crowded: Red Shoot is good, and has a decent pub next door. There is a nice but small site at Acres Down which is a bit of a secret. IOW is well worth a visit and has excellent riding, both road and MTB.
andrewjoseph
Posts: 1420
Joined: 17 Nov 2009, 10:48am
Location: near Afan

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by andrewjoseph »

We were disappointed to find some new forest camp sites had no showers.
--
Burls Ti Tourer for tarmac
Saracen aluminium full suss for trails.
hamster
Posts: 4131
Joined: 2 Feb 2007, 12:42pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by hamster »

andrewjoseph wrote:We were disappointed to find some new forest camp sites had no showers.


That's the problem with the FC ones, the planning is so tight that it is tough to erect permanent buildings in the forest proper. Commercial campsites are clustered just at the edge outside the national park boundary.
Deevoy88
Posts: 12
Joined: 21 Nov 2014, 12:33pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by Deevoy88 »

tatanab wrote:Do not forget the area in the north of the forest - NE of Ringwood. Geographically very different to the south.

I have never really been into the North of the Forest. Nearest i went was the Rufus Stone on a History trip years ago :D . Will definitely look into that area.
I may go slow, but I am happy
User avatar
honesty
Posts: 2658
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 3:33pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by honesty »

We used to also holiday at Cadnam. The Roman road through the woods there is very nice as well.
JBB
Posts: 39
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 8:39pm

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by JBB »

I'd also recommend Acres Down http://www.acresdownfarm.co.uk/campsite.html. The north side of the Forest is quieter and hillier. There are several campsites near Fordingbridge in the NW corner which is a good place to buy food. The route through the Forest edge villages from Downton to Ringwood is lovely too. Various other camping options around Nomansland but no idea about the quality.

HTH
Julia
simonhill
Posts: 5227
Joined: 13 Jan 2007, 11:28am
Location: Essex

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by simonhill »

I don't understand this post. It says tour in the New Forest for two weeks. For me touring is essentially about moving on.

I would have thought you would need far less time 'to tour' the NF.

Isle of Wight is good for a few days, but that stil leaves plenty of time to continue the tour. Are you moving on or looking for a static base?
User avatar
Heltor Chasca
Posts: 3016
Joined: 30 Aug 2014, 8:18pm
Location: Near Bath & The Mendips in Somerset

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by Heltor Chasca »

If I had my binoculars, my bird book and dragonfly book I could spend all summer in the NF. Saw a keeled skimmer last summer [emoji41]
User avatar
honesty
Posts: 2658
Joined: 16 Mar 2012, 3:33pm
Location: Somerset
Contact:

Re: New Forest Tour

Post by honesty »

simonhill wrote:I don't understand this post. It says tour in the New Forest for two weeks. For me touring is essentially about moving on.

I would have thought you would need far less time 'to tour' the NF.

Isle of Wight is good for a few days, but that stil leaves plenty of time to continue the tour. Are you moving on or looking for a static base?


Tours mean different things to different people. For fixed base touring the New Forest is lovely, and as you say there's always the option to shift the base to the Isle of Wight.
Post Reply