Parking
There is no formal trail car park. Marchwood has some parking, and the cut-off section of Twiggs Lane south of the A326 may have only limited informal space; do not count on finding a space.
Overview
About Carters Lane
Why go
- A varied mix of shaded woodland and open working fields.
- Old estate boundaries and Home Farm give the route a distinct sense of place.
Heads up
- Muddy patches, field crossings, stiles, gates and a narrow plank bridge.
- No formal parking at the trail start.
Map & elevation
The route
Loading the New Forest map
Full mapElevation11–25 m
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
1 active New Forest alert
- CautionNew Forest outdoor-fire restrictionDo not use BBQs, campfires, stoves, outdoor camping equipment or other naked flames on the open Forest.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
New Forest Tour Guide
Your drive to Carters Lane, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for New Forest National Park. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
Recorded for this area
The Estate That Built Boats0:00 / 0:29
“Near Marchwood, the Carter's Lane walk crosses an old estate with a less obvious wartime story.”
Plays near this trailhead in the Parkwolf New Forest Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- The Vole Behind the Otters
- The Raven’s Return
- Two Owls Make the Call
- Watch the Other Side
- 283 audio storiesacross New Forest’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor Red Deer, White-tailed Eagle, Harbor Seal, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 70 trails, 48 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Carters Lane
The walkCarters Lane is a fairly flat loop of about 2.5 miles, usually around 1.5 hours.
Carters Lane is a fairly flat loop of about 2.5 miles, usually around 1.5 hours. Starting on Twiggs Lane south of the A326, it follows a short lane approach to Hammond Lodge, then green paths through Hammond’s and Fir Copse before opening onto Beacons Field and farm tracks toward Birchlands Farm. At Carter’s Lane, retrace part of the farm track to the return path; the route then crosses fields and woodland by Home Farm before retracing the approach to Twiggs Lane. Several tracks follow old estate boundaries and lines shown on historic maps. The walled-garden remains and a glimpse of the estate lake add quiet points of interest along this working countryside route.
UnderfootExpect woodland paths, field edges, some surfaced farm track and one short road stretch.
Expect woodland paths, field edges, some surfaced farm track and one short road stretch. The route is fairly flat but can be muddy; it also has gates, stiles and a narrow plank footbridge. Field crossings and boundaries slow the pace, so allow time and wear footwear that handles wet ground. This is not a smooth, step-free walk.
Getting thereStart and finish on the cut-off section of Twiggs Lane south of the A326.
Start and finish on the cut-off section of Twiggs Lane south of the A326. The approach from Marchwood village uses the pedestrian crossing. There is no formal trail parking: the village has some parking, while informal space on south Twiggs Lane may be very limited. Ticks are noted along the walk, so check yourself after returning.
Wildlife
Wildlife in New Forest
28 sightingsRed DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
10 sightingsWhite-tailed EagleMost seen around 10 AMSighting map
14 sightingsHarbor SealMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
176 sightingsEuropean Fallow DeerMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
93 sightingsWestern Roe DeerMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
54 sightingsMute SwanMost seen around 6 PMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across New Forest. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
