A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD STATION TEA ROOMS, HOLMSLEY. INCLUDING A GUIDED WALK ALONG THE "OLD ROAD"

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As well as Wilverley Inclosure, you can also enjoy Wilverley Plain from the same car park. Find it at the far end of the car park near the picnic area. It is a huge open space and you will be very likely to find lots of ponies grazing here. We all understand it is work that needs doing and it is for the greater good but we have not been able to plan or have an understanding of what is going ahead," said Mr Jensen. Follow the level path going straight ahead and ignore the path to the left. Keep straight at a junction with a bench and then look out for a little cast iron sign on the floor to your left detailing some dates in the inclosure’s history. Keep going and you will come to a downhill section, where the path crosses a stream, before it rises again to a bench. Keep going on the same path. The walk is mostly graveled but subject to quite a bit of waterlogging especially at the Burbush car park end, so wellies are a must except in the driest possible conditions. There are water courses too all along the route so dogs that stray from the path will get dirty!

The New Forest is a patchwork of different wildlife habitats, so keep an eye open for its less obvious inhabitants – birds and bees or even wild roe deer at certain times of the day. Panoramic views at first glance present vistas over relatively flat ground, overlooked by often huge skies, although hidden dips in the landscape conceal shallow valleys, narrow streams and wildlife-rich wetlands. Along the way Distance: 4.3 km for the loop around the inlclosure (add another 2 km to walk to The Old Station Tearoom) There is a large memorial, topped by a Dakota propeller, to commemorate the aircrew and local civilians who worked there.For the longer walk turn right along a narrow earth path through trees and after 150 metres ignore a path off to the left. The old railway line passes through attractive areas of heathland and pine woodland, a unique landscape where you might come across a group of wild ponies.

Eventually enter another cutting, excavated through the tree-clad edge of Burbush Hill. Leave the cutting, almost immediately cross a small railed bridge over a narrow stream, and continue straight ahead for a short distance. Refreshments: Pincic area with tables at the car park (fenced, so no ponies will bother you!) or add on a diversion to The Old Station Tea Rooms, Holmsley. There is often an ice-cream van here in summer.I think we had two weeks' notice and that was by a piece of A4 paper through the door, where as in the past Hampshire County Council communicated with us directly.