South Gorley
Fordingbridge
Children will enjoy being able to get up close to all the animals at Hockey’s Farm Shop including guinea pigs, donkeys, pigs and alpacas.
The views down into Chibden Bottom
The Basics
Time: 1 hr 15 mins
Distance: 4 km / 2.5 miles
Terrain: Quiet country lanes with grass verges, stony tracks and grassy heathland. Mostly flat with one short uphill.
Pushchairs: This route is not suitable for pushchairs.
Dogs: Dogs are welcome on this walk and on leads at Hockeys Farm Shop & Café.
Refreshments: Hockey’s Farm Shop & Café with ‘the best breakfast in the New Forest’.
Toilets: There are toilets at Hockey’s Farm Shop & Café.
Public Transport: There is no public transport to this location.
Parking: Plenty of parking for customers at Hockey’s Farm Shop (Postcode: SP6 2PW - W3W: ///thickens.elevates.glare)
And a view of some different bottoms at Hockey’s Farm Shop!!
This walk starts at Hockey’s Farm Shop, a family run business in the New Forest. As well as a very well stocked shop, Hockey’s also serves up hot food throughout the day, including amazing cooked breakfasts. Children will be thrilled to discover that the farm has a large selection of animals that they can view for free. To conclude the day out, there is an outstanding circular walk that can be completed direct from the farm with some of the best views in the New Forest.
The Route
Leave Hockey’s and turn right at the road. Walk along the road on the grass verge and pass a triangular green to your left. You will see the old school building at the far end and should continue past this. After the old school house, look out for a footpath marker on your right that will direct you away from the road and up a gravelled access track.
Keep going up the track, and after Chibden Farm and Primrose Cottage, the gravelled track gives way to a more uneven forest track. When you reach a junction with trees straight ahead of you, veer to the left and climb up to the open heath. Follow the path straight ahead.
The views will now open up and you will be able to look down into Chibden Bottom to your right, a large natural bowl in the landscape. Continue until you pass a circular clump of tall trees to your left. Very soon after this, the path will fork and you should choose the right hand fork.
You will now be circling the top, short side of the bowl, keeping the dip to your right at all times. Go right again at the next fork and begin to walk along the next long side of the bowl, still with the dip to your right. Along this length, look out for the ‘huff-duff’, an interesting relic from the Second World War. If you go inside, there are information boards giving you more details about its purpose.
Back on the path, keep going forward, bearing right to keep the bowl to your right and ignore any paths leading off to the left or right. As the path begins to leave the bowl behind, wait until the path actually splits around some bushes. You can go left or right here as they will both lead back to the same point on the other side (you will pass a bench if you fork right, which is a good landmark to confirm you are on the right track). After the paths reconverge, you should bear right and head off the heathland. You will know it is the right exit point as you should very soon go around a low barrier.
Turn right just after the barrier onto Newtown Lane and follow this access lane all the way down to the road. Turn right at the road and walk for a few metres along the grass verge until you reach Hockey’s again.
Did you know?
‘Huff-Duff’ is the nickname for HF/DF (high frequency direction finding) radio transmission towers that played a vital role in locating enemy aircraft during the Second World War.
If you enjoyed this walk…
…try this one at Herrirard near Basingstoke, where there is also a walk from farm shop with plenty of animals to see for free.
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