Hatchet Pond

Park in the car park next to the pond and you are on the shoreline in a minute. Most people simply walk the near shore, which is easy and flat with little elevation change, then find a spot for a picnic and watch the water. The setting is open heathland, which means big skies and long views, and the pond's surface makes it a favourite for sunset and reflection photography. It sits roughly a mile and a quarter, or about two kilometres, from the centre of Beaulieu, reached via the B3055 towards Brockenhurst with the car park at the B3054 junction.

The pond supports rare wetland plants and freshwater animals, including stoneworts, coral necklace, pillwort and marsh clubmoss, along with the extremely rare southern damselfly, great crested newts and medicinal leeches. Reptiles, amphibians, snakes and bats use the area too, and waterbirds are often about, with visitors regularly noting swans, geese and gulls. New Forest ponies and other free-roaming livestock, including horses, cows and donkeys, wander freely here. Nothing is guaranteed on any given visit, and much of the rare stuff is small and easy to miss, so slow down and look closely.

There are no toilets here because of the pollution risk to the pond, and the nearest facilities are in Beaulieu or Brockenhurst. On-site amenities are otherwise minimal, so bring water, snacks and anything else you need. Shoreline and wetland sections can be muddy or boggy, so wear proper footwear, and one visitor has noted gravel dips near the car park that made reaching the water's edge awkward with reduced mobility. This is a short, simple stop rather than a day out, and it rewards patience more than activity.