Walks : Norley Wood

Boldre SO41 5RN SZ3597.

On the road from Beaulieu to Lymington. The no. 6 bus passes here and the summer season tour buses.

Almost all woodland inclosure, Norley Wood is a great place for a level and easy walk with clear gravelled paths and also many offside paths for the more adventurous or better shod!

There is a good car park and it can be a good rainy day walk as the forest provides some shelter. Most reviews of this inclosure mention its peacefulness and beauty – it is easy to forget you are so close to the main road once away from the entrance.

Within the areas of conifers and mixed woodland, there are also pockets of ancient woodland. A simple route around will cover about 2 miles, but if you wish to explore the lesser paths, then beware – in this tiny inclosure I have lost my bearings more than anywhere else in the New Forest.

Norley Wood is stunning all year round and is especially known for colourful fungi in autumn – real storybook toadstools in abundance!

This special has been the centre of much argument over recent years as Forestry England have included it in phase two of their habitat regeneration – local people have deplored the loss of some parts of the wood and the temporary desecration was quite devastating to observe. A boggy , mostly unwalked section of 2.79 hectares known as the Mire, has recently been cleared of birch, scots pine and gorse under the Higher Level Stewardship scheme and a temporary path marked out while the tracks gradually recover from the damage made by the heavy machinery. The long-term plan is to open up the area and make it more diverse, encouraging wildflowers and supporting the habitat needed for lichen, fungi and bats. However, some Norley Wood village residents , in particular are mourning the loss of woodland areas.

The path has recovered and some new growth has established itself – 2023 update.

The Forest Design Plan Objectives aim to sustain and protect existing habitats, develop woodlands that are more attractive and sympathetic to the surrounding areas and to possibly divert public overuse from areas of special sensitivity. Balancing the needs of the visitor, while protecting features and cultural heritage and enabling the production of good quality timber is a real challenge. Those opposed feel that consultation with those living nearest was not well conducted. From 2019 – 2029 the plans include felling in specified areas and the gradual removal of conifers.