Walks near Christchurch by train
Hampshire · South East England
MapA day hike in the countryside is just a simple train journey away — explore the most charmingly located railway stations near Christchurch and plan your next day of green.
Alternatively, view walks directly from Christchurch.
Lymington to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
30 minutes from Christchurch, with one change.
Recommended
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
1 lunch spot: the Fleur de Lys (45m in)
2 end-of-walk rewards: the Snakecatcher Pub, or the Huntsman
Warnings: Can be EXTREME mud in Lymington Reeds Beds Nature Reserve.
Adapted from: The Rough Guide to Walks in London & the South East (3rd edition).
Reverse direction: the Saturday Walkers Club and Slow Ways (inc. GPX).
Wool Circular via Lulworth Cove (Dorset)
45 minutes direct from Christchurch.
Rolling Thomas Hardy Country pastures, large woods, dairy farms, remote scenic coombes, steep chalk clifftops, rock stacks, limestone arches, caves, beautiful coves, parkland, heath and bluebell woods.
Time: 9h (7h walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Dorchester Circular via Hardy's Cottage (Dorset)
1 hour from Christchurch, with one change.
Thomas Hardy country east of Dorchester — his thatched birthplace cottage and the woodland and heathland of Thorncombe Wood.
Hardy's Cottage: The thatched cottage birthplace of writer Thomas Hardy, set within Thorncombe Wood nature reserve and cared for by the National Trust.
Thorncombe Wood: A mixed woodland nature reserve surrounding Hardy's Cottage with waymarked trails and heathland.
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Lunch: The Under the Greenwood Tree cafe at the Hardy's Cottage visitor centre; pubs and cafes in Dorchester.
Warnings: Hardy's Cottage can only be visited on a guided tour; check National Trust opening arrangements before setting out.
Walk details: Visit Dorset (tips, photos and local insights).
Brockenhurst Circular via Lyndhurst (Hampshire)
15 minutes direct from Christchurch.
Forest inclosures and heath between the villages of Lyndhurst and Brockenhurst, with Lymington River bathing spots and spring bluebells. Strenuous.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Winchester Circular via Wolvesey Palace (Hampshire)
45 minutes direct from Christchurch.
Historic cathedral city streets, watermeadows, iron age hillfort, downland ridges, river valley and ancient meadows.
Time: 5h30 (4h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: M3 motorway noise.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Ashurst New Forest Circular via Lyndhurst (Hampshire)
30 minutes from Christchurch, with one change.
Heath and forest inclosures skirting a golf course, between the villages of Lyndhurst and Ashurst. Strenuous.
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Tracks can be muddy after wet weather; watch for stray golf balls.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Sway to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
15 minutes direct from Christchurch.
Open heath and forest inclosures, a caravan park and a dead-straight stretch of the disused Castleman Corkscrew railway, now a cycle route. Strenuous.
Time: 3h30 (2h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Some short road sections have no footpath; watch for traffic.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
Ashurst New Forest to Brockenhurst (Hampshire)
30 minutes from Christchurch, with one change.
Ancient woodland, open heath and inclosures, crossing the Beaulieu River past Matley and Denny Woods. Strenuous.
Matley Wood: A small but beautiful tract of ancient and ornamental New Forest woodland reached across open heath.
Denny Wood: An ancient and ornamental woodland of beech and oak flanked by ferns and surrounded by heath and wetland habitats.
Time: 5h (3h30 walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Some roadside walking with limited footpath; take care.
Walk details: New Forest Walks (tips, photos, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).
St Denys to Chandler's Ford (Hampshire)
45 minutes from Christchurch, with one change.
River Itchen and Monks Brook with little road walking — Riverside Park, woodland, North Stoneham Park and waterside meadows.
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Four stiles; can be muddy in places; not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs; take care at road crossings.
Walk details: Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership (PDF).
Romsey to Chandler's Ford (Hampshire)
45 minutes from Christchurch, with one change.
Hampshire countryside and quiet lanes — a canal path, Tadburn Meadows, the boardwalks of Emer Bog and Knight Wood.
Time: 4h30 (3h walking, 1h30 lunch)
Warnings: Nine stiles; can be boggy after wet weather; not suitable for wheelchairs or pushchairs; take care at road crossings.
Walk details: Three Rivers Community Rail Partnership (PDF).
Netley to Botley (Hampshire)
1 hour from Christchurch, with one change.
Coastal country park, stony beach, light woodland, mudflats, riverside causeway with marinas, open farmland and village lanes.
Woodland: a quarter under tree cover.
Time: 6h30 (5h walking, 1h30 lunch)
3 lunch spots: the Harpers Steakhouse (2h45 in), Little Canton (2h45 in), or the Jolly Sailor (3h in)
4 end-of-walk rewards: Manor Farm Café, the Dolphin, the Brewery Bar, or the Railway
Warnings: Check tide timings.
Adapted from: Time Out Country Walks Volume 1.
Similar walk: the Saturday Walkers Club.
Dean to Mottisfont & Dunbridge (Hampshire)
1 hour from Christchurch, with one change.
Chalk downlands, rolling hills, varied woods, field boundaries, farm tracks, steep-sided chalk downs, river meadows and Test Valley chalk stream.
Mottisfont Abbey & Gardens (National Trust)
Time: 8h30 (6h30 walking, 1h30 lunch, 30m break)
Warnings: Can be muddy.
Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).