Yomping buddy visited recently and much to our surprise, the sun made a bit of an appearance. So we had to go for a walk. We’d done the Beaulieu to Bucklers Hard walk a couple of times, but not recently, so we decided it was time for a revisit. Things to know about this walk. You can do the walk from Bucklers Hard to Beaulieu, but you have to park in the Bucklers Hard ‘official’ car park. Don’t know what it costs now but I recall it seemed a tad steep when I was last there if you just wanted to park. This is because the admittedly all day car parking price includes admission to the Maritime Museum and Buckler’s Hard Story. However if you are staying for some time then it may be worth the price. Anyway if you want to know more, got to the Bucklers Hard Website. So where was I? Oh yes, the second thing you need to know is that it’s a straight line walk. At Bucklers Hard you have to turn around and come back.

As is often the way of these things, that’s not completely true. There is a detour from the main path which takes you pretty much right down to the Beaulieu River, but still takes you in the right direction. You can then return by the most straight forward route. It’s best to do the walk that way as by the time you’ve walked to Bucklers Hard, had an ice cream from the Kiosk (Chocolate with chocolate chips since you ask), and sat on the picnic benches overlooking the jetty to eat it, the shortest route is normally the one calling loudest.

But I get a little ahead of myself here. At Beaulieu there is a public car park. In truth it’s probably not the largest you will have encountered so there is a certain amount of fortune involved in getting a space. It is possible to park on the High Street, but beware of restrictions. Fortunately the signs to Bucklers Hard are clear but in case you miss them, find The Montagu Arms Hotel on the main road through Beaulieu (B3054, Palace Lane) and walk down the left hand side and past the volunteer Fire Station. Carry on along that road and through a gate and you’ll find yourself on a track through fields. It’s pretty easy walking if you are relatively fit. The path continues through more fields, dips down into Jarvis’s Copse and emerges into more fields on the other side.

You will then enter Keeping Copse where you get to choose which route you want to take. If you want any views across the river as you walk, you have to take the left hand fork which is clearly signposted. Someone, I assume the Beaulieu Estate, has been at work adding small stretches of board walk where the path is inclined to be too muddy, and the walk is all the more pleasant for that. There is the occasional bench placed at strategic points, so it is possible to break the journey should you need to.

Walking on through Keeping Copse with the river on your left, you enter Burnt Oak Copse, although you wouldn’t know it. The two copses are really one continual stand of trees. Once you emerge from the trees and skirt around a small dirt car park you then pass close to a board walk which leads to a hide. We visited the first time we did the walk and it had barely been finished so there wasn’t a lot to look at. But it has views over Keeping Marsh so you may find it worth a visit.

Walking around the back of the boatyard, you will see a strange little thatched dwelling on your right, which tells you it’s nearly ice cream time. You have arrived at Bucklers Hard approximately 45 mins after leaving Beaulieu assuming you are not into power walking. In all assuming an ice cream stop (I’m not obsessed, really) , you could expect to return to the car park at Beaulieu about an hour and a half after leaving. It’s a pleasant walk, not at all taxing for the able-bodied and, not that it’s of any relevance, there is a teashop in Beaulieu quite close to the car park. There is also a decent garden centre at the end of the High Street, Fairweathers, which experience tells us sells good quality plants. Again not that it’s relevant, they also have a teashop.