Hale & Woodgreen Walk

Hale & Woodgreen is a 5.7-mile (9 km) loop from Woodfalls bus stop and back, through old droveways, farm fields, short woods and village lanes on the New Forest edge. It starts just beyond the park boundary, then enters the Forest after the first stretch. Come for a varied countryside circuit and a look at the villages, not one big summit or waterfall payoff.

Follow Lodge Drove out of Woodfalls, ignoring the left-hand waymarker at first; that is the return. A gravel track bends through a wide gate and follows the old drove road among trees. After a downhill field and short wood, a wildlife pond sits beside the meadow. In summer, the water can be busy with mayflies and dragonflies. The path climbs past stiles and Hatchett Gate Farm, then turns along Hale Lane and the Avon Valley Path toward St Mary's Church. At Hale House, keep to the footpath about 10 metres north of the drive; the drive is not the route. The lane toward Woodgreen gives brief glimpses of the River Avon through the trees.

Field-edge walking opens to views across the Avon valley before three more stiles lead to a gravel track down and up to a junction. A short optional detour reaches Woodgreen Village Hall, the Horse and Groom pub and the community shop, then returns to the same junction. The return leaves the Avon Valley Path at a sharp left and crosses a plank bridge before climbing through fields and a rhododendron-lined bridleway in Stricklands Plantation. Near Hale Farm, a shaded track looks across the tree avenue in Hale Park toward Hatchett Lodge, then heads back through Hatchet Green. Several of Hatchet Green’s cob cottages date to the late 18th century and keep their simple long-straw thatch; the green is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest for rare plants and wildlife.

Allow two to three hours. It is moderate, with a few short steep gradients, 12 stiles, gates and one footbridge. Woodland, field and bridleway tracks can be muddy, so this is a poor fit if you need a stile-free or consistently firm route. Start at Woodfalls bus stop near Woodfalls Inn (SP5 2NN); Wiltshire route 44 serves Woodfalls from Salisbury. Dogs are welcome; keep them in sight and under control, and on tracks from March through July to protect nesting birds. The pub and shop are on the optional Woodgreen detour, not directly on the mapped loop.