Brookley Road Meeting Point

About Brookley Road Meeting Point

The start point for the Network in Nature walking event: the pavement outside The Absent Pony café at the station end of Brookley Road in Brockenhurst village. The group gathers here, mingles over a drink, then sets off on a ranger-led circular walk of about 3.7 miles towards Whitefield Moor and back. Brockenhurst station is a three-minute walk away, so it works well without a car.

• Paid parking
• Near station

Finding the door

Meet on the pavement outside The Absent Pony café, 2–4 Brookley Road, at the station end of the village by the bus stop opposite The Foresters Arms

Walk starts promptly at 10:00; arrive from 09:30 to grab a drink and mingle. Led by a New Forest National Park Authority ranger; maximum group of 15, booking required.

• Free but booking required
• Photography will be taken on the walk
• Wear walking boots or sturdy trainers; about half the route is uneven unsurfaced paths

Parking

Brookley Road Car Park (New Forest District Council, 67 spaces incl. 3 disabled) is about 7 minutes' walk west along Brookley Road. The walk lasts about 2.5 hours, so pay for at least 3 hours or use an NFDC parking clock (permit) if you have one. The station car park (South Western Railway, paid) is closer. Don't park on Forest verges.

• Brookley Road Car Park

  Nearby · 7 min walk · 67 spaces

  Time limit: Up to 20 hours

  New Forest District Council 'town and village' tariff as set for 2024 (not re-checked for 2026, NFDC site blocks automated fetches): £1 for 1 hour, £3 for 2 hours, £3.50 for 3 hours, £4 for…

• Brockenhurst Station car park

  Nearby · 3 min walk

Getting here

Brockenhurst station is about 180 m away (Station Approach). Buses stop right by the café on Brookley Road. By car, Brockenhurst is on the A337 between Lyndhurst and Lymington.

• Brockenhurst, opp The Foresters Arms · 1 min walk

  morebus 86 (Southampton–Totton–Lyndhurst–Lymington), 776 (school)

• Brockenhurst · 3 min walk

  South Western Railway (main line and Lymington branch)

  Step-free per OpenStreetMap. Walk north up Station Approach to Brookley Road.

• Brockenhurst Station (S-bound) · 3 min walk

  morebus 86, 776

• Brockenhurst station cycle parking · 3 min walk

  96 free stands (OpenStreetMap); smaller racks on Brookley Road

Inside

Access: The meeting point is on a level village pavement, but the 3.7-mile walk is half gravel track and half uneven, unsurfaced paths, so it isn't suitable for wheelchairs.

Toilets

Public toilets by Brookley Road Car Park (free, wheelchair accessible per OpenStreetMap), about 6 minutes' walk west

Food and drink

The Absent Pony café is the meeting point; Brookley Road has several cafés, pubs and restaurants for after the walk.