Slufters Inclosure walk
[The walking suggestions in this web site are merely to show you some nice, fairly short walks within the New Forest National Park, so you can enjoy the Forest at its best.
The walks have been completed by me, and follow used walking tracks. However, I can't take responsibility for you getting lost, bogged down or chased by an angry pony etc.etc...!]
Slufters Inclosure walk is a nice, short walk that gives you great views of open heathland and forested inclosures managed by the Forestry Commission. It can get very boggy in places outside of the inclosure, so be warned! There's almost always a way round though.
On entering the inclosure, look out for deer hiding in the trees or grazing on the grassy rides. Slufters rarely gets busy, and New Forest wildlife can often be seen on this walk.
Slufters Inclosure walk:
[Map excerpts: left, the approximate location of the walk within the National Park. Below, OS 1:25000]
Car park OS grid reference: 229116 [How do I read a map?]
Approximate distance of Slufters Inclosure walk: 2 miles
Allow (time): an hour and a half
Nearest pub/s: High Corner Inn & Red Shoot Inn at Linwood and the Royal Oak at Fritham - all within a few miles, by road, from the walk.
The walk...
| Direct vehicle access to the car park has been blocked off, so park at the track entrance but don't block the gate! Better parking is of course available at nearby Cadmans Pond or Ocknell, both a few hundred metres to the north-east of Slufters (back towards Stoney Cross airfield). |  |
| Walk down the car park entrance track from the road. Standing in the car park, face east (left) - the main gate into Slufters Inclosure will be on your right. Begin your walk down the grassy slope through the pine trees. The heather expanse of Ocknell Plain is on your left. Point 'A' on the map above. |  |
| Cross over the small Forest stream at the bottom of the dip (bridged with a gravel path) and walk up the other side, sticking to the narrow gravel/sand pony tracks. Warning - can be boggy here! |  |
| On reaching the top of the hill, turn right and follow the line of the inclosure fence. You're now up on Ocknell Plain, and there are several narrow pony tracks to walk on. Keep the inclosure on your right. If using a compass, you'll be walking a southerly heading. Point 'B' on the map above. |  |
| After about 1/3 mile, there is a set of old gate posts into the inclosure. Don't go through here, unless you can't wait to get to the pub, but keep walking straight on, still with the inclosure on your right. Keep walking for about the same distance again (1/3 mile approx.) and you'll soon be in view of the busy A31 road, directly ahead of you. Point 'C' on the map above. |  |
| You'll encounter some boggy areas along the way, but soon you'll come to another similar set of gate posts into the inclosure, on the right. Go through these and walk down the short slope (gravel track) to the crossroads at the bottom. Point 'D' on the map above. |  |
| The main Forestry Commission track runs left-right, and you need to go to the right. If using a compass, you'll be walking a northerly heading. Point 'E' on the map above. |  |
| Just keep on this main track and it will take you back to the car park, from inside the inclosure. There are a few crossroads on the way, but you keep walking on the gravel track. You'll see some New Forest Ancient & Ornamental Woodland on your right, containing mostly oak trees, the rest of the inclosure is forested with pine. Point 'A' on the map above. |  |
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