Autumn Walking Break in the New Forest

Check in to the hotel any time from 15:00. For those arriving by train, we’ll provide a free collection from New Milton Station at 17:30, making it easy to arrive without a car.

Your Large Outdoors guide will be in the hotel bar from 18:00 to welcome you and chat through plans for the break. It’s a relaxed introduction to the group, with time to settle in, get to know everyone, and ask any questions.

After a good hotel breakfast, we’ll head out in our minibus to Bolderwood Arboretum, a highlight of the New Forest’s autumn scenery.

Today’s walk is around 8 miles, perfect for taking it slow and soaking up the vibrant autumn colours. Expect impressive ornamental conifers and ancient oak woodland where golden leaves crunch underfoot. We’ll also visit the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, where there’s an excellent chance of spotting fallow deer at the feeding platform, providing fantastic photo opportunities.

Paths here are generally flat and well-maintained, making it ideal for relaxed walking with time to chat and enjoy the scenery.

After finishing the walk, we’ll travel on to Lyndhurst, known as the “capital” of the New Forest, with independent shops, cafes, and tearooms. You’ll have time to wander around and reward yourself with tea and cake before we return to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, there’s time to freshen up and relax before we head out together for a sociable pub dinner (not included), making for a convivial evening with the group.

Today, it’s all about the coast. After breakfast, we’ll head to Keyhaven for a longer but still relaxed 15km (9-mile) walk combining coastal wildlife, marshland paths, and dramatic views across the Solent.

Our route begins through the Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve, an expanse of saltmarshes, tidal lagoons, and creeks that’s a haven for wading birds, wildfowl, and salt-tolerant plants. This is a prime spot for autumn birdwatching, with views stretching across mudflats and reedbeds, and well-maintained paths making for easy-going walking.

From the marshes, we’ll head out along Hurst Spit, a striking shingle bank stretching 1.5 miles into the Solent. This historic route was a key defensive point, leading to Hurst Castle—originally built by Henry VIII and expanded over the centuries. Walking the spit gives impressive panoramic views over the Solent and the Isle of Wight, with crashing waves on one side and calm waters on the other.

After exploring the area and enjoying the coastal air, we’ll return to the hotel to freshen up before heading out again for another pub dinner with the group (not included).

Distance: 6–8 miles (10–13 km)

Our final day is a steady riverside walk exploring one of the New Forest’s most historic areas. After breakfast, we travel to the village of Beaulieu to begin a relaxed 6–8 mile route following the Beaulieu River towards the historic shipbuilding hamlet of Buckler’s Hard.

We start in Beaulieu, a village known for its riverside setting, traditional buildings, and links to the Montagu family. The route then follows quiet paths and flat riverside tracks through peaceful woodland and meadows as we gradually trace the river towards Buckler’s Hard.

Buckler’s Hard offers a strong sense of local history. Once a key shipbuilding site for the Royal Navy during the 18th century, several vessels built here went on to serve in major maritime campaigns. The preserved street, cottages, and riverside setting give a good feel for what life would have been like during its busiest years. There’s time to explore the area, take in the views along the river, and enjoy a steady-paced walk through one of the most recognisable parts of the New Forest coastline.

We return along the same river valley, following gentle paths with views of reedbeds, woodland edges, and the quiet bends of the Beaulieu River. It’s a calm, enjoyable way to round off the trip, with plenty of opportunities to pause, chat, or take photographs.

Back in Beaulieu, there’s time for a final café stop before we travel to Brockenhurst station, where we aim to arrive around 16:00 for onward train connections.

If you’re driving, you’ll head to Beaulieu in the morning and can make your way home straight from the end of the walk.