New Forest walking guide Cicerone Cicerone | 9781852848774

A guidebook to 30 day walks of between 3 and 10 miles set throughout the New Forest National Park in Hampshire and Wiltshire. Routes explore ancient woodland, heather-clad heath and dramatic coastline, all within easy reach of Southampton, Bournemouth and Salisbury. Walks for all abilities, easily combined to make up longer challenges. Seasons: Any time of the year; spring brings new life into the forest, summers are mild and the ground is usually dry although this is peak tourist season, autumn brings vivid displays of colour and good clear days, winter has shorter days with the least number of visitors, but some routes can become wet underfoot. Centres: Brockenhurst, Lyndhurst, Lymington, Ringwood, Fordingbridge. Difficulty: Walks between 3 and 10 miles; terrain fairly flat; paths range from good gravel tracks to narrow paths over open heath; some stream crossings without bridges, though these should not pose any difficulties unless there has been heavy rainfall; navigation straightforward with care sometimes required on indistinct paths over open heath, or through woods. Must See: Walks in forests, ancient and ornamental woods, open heaths, rivers and coastal stretches; historic churches and ancient sites; New Forest ponies to deer, birds, plants and all six native reptiles; the largest remaining area of lowland heath in Europe.