The Big Lemon has been running Sunday Walks for 10 years, and for the last four years we have also run an annual Walking Holiday over a long weekend in the Spring. This year we had so much fun that we decided we couldn’t wait for next year’s Walking Holiday and so we have planned a Walking Weekender in the New Forest on the 1-2 October!

The New Forest Walking Weekender will be a leisurely walk of about 10 miles each day, taking in the best of what the New Forest has to offer, between Stoney Cross, Lyndhurst, and Beaulieu.

Saturday 1 October

We will meet at 0830 at Old Steine (Stop S), Brighton; and drive to Andrew’s Mare Car Park just off the A31. We will start our walk at about 11am from a high point on the north western side of the New Forest, where there are wonderful views from the Heathland towards the south.

We will walk across the heath, where the famous New Forest ponies graze, towards the Canadian War Memorial. From there we head south to the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary, where fallow deer gather for daily feedings by the forest keeper.

Then we head into the Bolderwood Arboretum, where there are a large number of rare evergreens including Douglas fir, deodar cedar, Lawson’s cypress, western red cedar, giant redwood and black pine. As well as the evergreens there are also large numbers of beeches and oaks, and at the southern end of the Bolderwood Arboretum we will pass two of the most famous oaks in the New Forest, The Knightwood Oak and the Eagle Oak. The Knightwood Oak is generally thought to be oldest oak in the New Forest, about 600 years old.

We then continue further south to the Blackwater Arboretum, a stunning collection of trees from around the world, before heading east towards Lyndhurst, where we stop for a well deserved rest overnight. Lyndhurst is often called the Capital of the New Forest and has a variety of pubs and restaurants in an idyllic rural village setting.

Sunday 2 October

After a hearty breakfast at the Penny Farthing Hotel we will meet at 10am and head east across the heathland towards the Beaulieu River valley, with breathtaking views in all directions.

We will stop at The Drift pub for lunch, and then continue south towards the picture postcard village of Beaulieu, where we will have a celebratory drink before heading back to Brighton.

What’s included:

• Bed and breakfast in Lyndhurst, with single, double or twin options
• All transport including transfers
• Experienced guide to help you navigate the walk
• The option for doing shorter sections, with a minibus pickup available from various points along the way.
• Some of the most beautiful scenery in England and the best walking buddies you could ever wish for 🙂

What’s not included:

• Packed lunch for the Saturday
• Dinner
• Waterproofs, strong shoes or walking boots, warm clothing, sun hat, water bottle and sunscreen
• Pub Lunch on the Sunday

Accommodation

We will be staying at the Penny Farthing Hotel in Lyndhurst, and there are options for single rooms, double rooms or twin share. Twin rooms can either be shared with a friend on the walk, or we will pair walkers of the same sex who are happy to share.

Prices:

• Adult, bed & breakfast in a shared room (either twin or double): £100
• Adult, bed & breakfast in a single room: £150
• Under 16: £60 – Shared accommodation with their parent(s) or carer(s)
• Under 5: Free

50% of the full cost must be paid to secure the booking, the remainder will need to be paid 2 weeks before the event. We will invoice for the remainder, you don’t need to do anything until you receive the invoice.

Book here:

To book different combinations of people from those listed above, please book each one separately; eg for a family of two adults and two children please book the “Adult, Sharing Twin Room” option twice, and then two of the Child Under 16 options too. We will make sure the right groups of people are sharing the right rooms. The largest room is a family room with a double and two single beds; and there are are also triple rooms, and doubles with an extra single… so plenty of combinations to choose from!

Pictures from our last walking holiday: