BH25 5WA SU 2570 0035 The New Forest Tour bus passes here during the summer season. The car park is closed during nesting season of ground-nesting birds Often missed by those visiting nearby Wilverley or
BH25 5WA SU 2570 0035
The New Forest Tour bus passes here during the summer season.
The car park is closed during nesting season of ground-nesting birds
Often missed by those visiting nearby Wilverley or Setthorns, this area of lowlying dry grassland, heath and boggy bits is a fascinating place to explore. Cut through by the old railway line, which is popular with cyclists, the heather and gorse-clad heath is a haven for wildlife, especially butterflies, insects and birds.
The cycle route starts from Slap Bottom and ends at what was Lymington Junction.
The Beaulieu river meanders along one end and at the other there are fir trees and a view up to Hag Hill, which you can reach along the many paths.
There are also little tracks through the heather, and if you get a bit lost aim for the railway track ridge and you will find you way back! The whole valley is scattered with the remains of Bronze Age round barrows and a quarry ditch from ancient times is evident too.
During the Second World War parts of this area were ploughed to grow crops such as potatoes, turnips, rape and flax. The land at Yew Tree Bottom was one of those subsequently re-seeded in the 1950s, creating lawned areas popular with the commoners’ roaming stock. Patches of lawn remain today and are great for picnics or a place to sit and enjoy the buzz of insects and scents of the heather, which is gradually encroaching across the grassy areas.
