Ringwood Hightown and Crow
A short history of Ringwood
Ringwood is the Western Gateway to the beautiful New Forest National Park.
For centuries it has been the traditional market town of the New Forest with its Market Charter dating back to 1226. The Avon Valley Path links Christchurch to the south with Salisbury to the north, a distance of 34 miles. Ringwood is well placed on the pathway and ideal for an overnight stop. The Castleman Trailway follows the route of the old railway line and provides access to the National Park to the east and can be followed for 16.5 miles to Poole in the west.
Key
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- Route
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- Temporarily closed
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- Restricted use
Directions
Start at the Elm Tree Inn.
Walk east along Hightown Road to a Footpath sign on the right, opposite Nouale Lane. Follow this path over stiles to a housing estate. Turn left and through the gate ahead. Follow the path between a stream and a lake to a broad cross track. Turn left over the bridge and continue ahead, crossing the road. Continue on to the end of the Castleman Trailway, beside the old crossing cottage No. 14 at Barrack Lane.
Turn left and continue uphill to a bigger road. Turn right and follow the road for approximately 170m, then turn left at the Footpath sign. Continue ahead along a broad track which narrows and continues between trees to a field. Follow the field edge left and then right to a bridge, then follow the track uphill through the woods. At the lane go straight ahead, up to where the road turns left, here continue ahead onto the path.
At the road, turn right and after approximately 80m turn left along a gravel track (to access Hightown Common and the open Forest you can go straight ahead here). At the cross track turn left and continue downhill to Nouale Lane. Cross the lane to a stile into a field. Cross two more fields heading generally diagonally left to the Elm Tree Inn.