Broomy Inclosure
Linwood, New Forest
Children will enjoy a pub with a play area and Splash Bridge on this walk.
Splash Bridge makes one of the prettiest spots in the New Forest
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 40 mins
Distance: 5.8 km / 3.6 miles
Terrain: Mostly well surfaced gravel tracks, some grassy tracks and a short steeper section at the end over rough ground.
Pushchairs: This route is suitable for pushchairs, with some adaptations to make it shorter.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk and at the pub.
Refreshments: High Corner Inn with a large garden and play area is directly on this route.
Toilets: There are no public toilets, unless customers of the pub.
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location.
Parking: High Corner forestry car park, small and free. Alternatively, there is parking at the pub if you plan to be a customer, which is a short distance further along the track (Postcode: BH24 3QY - W3W: ///envy.slang.backpacks)
The impressive oak trees in Broomy Inclosure
This walk encompasses everything we love about the New Forest; an epic family pub, tracks suitable for walkers and cyclists, huge ancient oaks and magical conifer plantations, free-roaming ponies, heather clad open plains and bridges over gentle streams.
The Route
The entire loop described below is only suitable for walkers, however, we do give some tips for alternative loops for those wanting to enjoy it with pushchairs or bikes.
To arrive at High Corner car park or the pub, you will need to leave the Linford road and drive up a gravelled track. The forestry car park will come up first on your left, but if you want to park at the pub, you will need to continue for around another two hundred metres. If you park at the forestry car park, leave the car park, turn left and walk down the gravelled track to the pub.
Continue the walk on the gravelled track, passing the pub to your left. Pass a thatched cottage, also to your left, and continue until you almost reach the bridge over the ford. Just before this, you need to turn off the track to your right, going around the wooden barrier at cycle post 41.
Walk through the woodland of Broomy Inclosure, passing some magnificent old oak trees. When you reach the gate at cycle post 40, go through it and continue straight. Keep forward at cycle post 39 and just after the gate with cycle post 38, turn left if you wish to make a short diversion to Splash Bridge, as featured in our photos. Return to the gate at post 38 afterwards.
Continue through the woodland. At cycle post 37, we advise those walking with pushchairs to turn right. We believe that this path will be more suited to pushchairs and will loop you back around, through the woodland, to cycle post 39 again and the original track. Walkers and cyclists should continue forward until a cross path with cycle post 36, where they should turn right.
This path will soon lead you out of the woodland and towards Broomy Plain. The fence of Broomy Lodge will be to your right. As the path levels off and you reach the open plain, walkers should leave the main path and fork right on the grassy path, keeping the fence to your right. If you are cycling, you will need to stay on the track until you reach the road. Here, you can either turn right to head back towards the car park, or turn left and then soon follow the cycle track through Milkham Inclosure and exit at Spring Bushes car park.
Cross the entrance track to Broomy Lodge and continue in the same direction. Immediately before you cross a ford at the bottom of a dip (the stream is dry at the time of writing, but the plethora of stones will make the spot recognisable), turn left onto a minor path, heading in the opposite direction of the gate. After a few metres cross another ford (also dried up and just distinguishable by the stones).
Continue straight up on what is now a rougher path, making your way through the bracken and the odd tree branch. At the top of this, you will reach the open plain and a more established path. Follow this until you arrive at the track that you originally drove up. Turn left for the car park and right for the pub.
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Did you know?
Although we have never been here at the right time of year, Broomy Inclosure is considered a good place for finding bluebells in spring.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Burley New Inclosure, which is also splendid in the autumn.
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