AN easy walk taking in New Forest woodlands, heaths and grass lawns. But the paths are not all easily defined in the latter stages of the walk.

Start in Ashurst from the car park next to The Happy Cheese pub and close to Ashurst Railway Station. Take the A35 out of Southampton and at Ashurst look for the pub off a service road by a row of shops on the left. The car park is just beyond the pub and the entrance to Ashurst Hospital.

From the car park head towards The Happy Cheese across the Ashurst Hospital entrance and fork right to walk along the roadway between the pub building and its parking area. The tarmac road soon becomes a gravelled track with the local cricket ground on your right.

At Church Place Cottage, a typical forest cottage, turn right and through a wooden gate into the Forest woodland to follow a clear track.

(1) Turn off this route along the first gravel track to the left just opposite a wooden post indicating a cycle route.

The track climbs gradually through broad leafed woodland and bends right, ignore tracks left and right as conifers now predominate in the woodlands.

At a T-junction of clear gravel tracks turn right and head slightly downhill.

Continue ahead at a junction of five tracks. Soon a wood-en fence and gate appear ahead. Leave the track and go through the gate onto an open grass area and follow a path bearing right towards the white posts and railings which guide you to the (2)bridge over the Southampton to Bournemouth railway.

Now woodland gives way to meadow before the track crosses the infant Beaulieu River and the route ahead becomes a profusion of sandy gravel tracks. Take the right hand track between two clumps of gorse and head towards Matley Wood across the heather clad heath.

Ignore several cross paths and follow the track into and through this delightful woodland. When a vehicle barrier appears ahead look for a large felled tree trunk on the right.

(3) Turn right off the track just before the tree trunk and follow a path to the right of a tree stump. Although not as distinct as the track you have just left the route is reasonably clear as it winds downhill through trees.

Soon you follow a grassy way that emerges on to heathland with ferns and heather.

The path becomes more distinct as it crosses the open area of Longwater Lawn towards woodland. A grass area precedes the trees and a small wooden footbridge which takes you once again over the Beaulieu River.

(4) Cross the bridge and follow the path which can be seen bearing left towards another area of woodland.

The spire of Lyndhurst Church can be seen beyond trees to the left. The path appears to split into several parallel routes but all head towards the woods.

(5) Enter the woods and after about 75 yards at a crossing of grass tracks turn right. The path diverts around felled trees to run along the woodland edge. Although not easy to follow, keep woodland and dotted trees left with the open heath to your right.

The traffic on the A35 will soon be heard beyond the trees on your left.

(6) Make for a low vehicle barrier and cross the road which leads to Ashurst Lodge. Continue ahead across grass towards the buildings of the New Forest Hotel with the Ashurst Wood campsite to the right.

Cross the entrance road to the campsite and on to a path which bears left over a footbridge to cross a stile before turning right to follow the pavement alongside the A35 past the New Forest Hotel and over the railway bridge to return to the Happy Cheese and car park.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.