A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE OLD STATION TEA ROOMS, HOLMSLEY. INCLUDING A GUIDED WALK ALONG THE "OLD ROAD"

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Fallow deer and roe deer are also present and are most often seen early and late in the day, whilst wild flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, damselflies and reptiles add considerable further interest. Dogs: Yes, you may meet ponies or cattle if you divert to the tearoom. We have heard there is an activity trail for dogs just through the gate onto Wilverley Plain.

Go through the gate and turn left then sharp left again to keep the Inclosure and old embankment on the left. Cross a narrow, valley-bottom stream - it's usually dry in summer - and follow the equally narrow but fairly obvious path uphill beside the left-hand woodland edge - there is open heathland on the right-hand side here. Mr Jensen, 53, has made every effort to help customers plot a route to the venue, including moving the business's location on Google so the company's map software provides a useable route. Eventually enter another cutting, excavated through the tree-clad edge of Burbush Hill. Leave the cutting, almost immediately cross a small railed bridge over a narrow stream, and continue straight ahead for a short distance.

Also featuring - Turf Hill, Holmsley Bog, Slap Bottom and Shappen Hill.

The New Forest is a patchwork of different wildlife habitats, so keep an eye open for its less obvious inhabitants – birds and bees or even wild roe deer at certain times of the day. There is a large memorial, topped by a Dakota propeller, to commemorate the aircrew and local civilians who worked there.

After a further 450 metres, pass another small copse on the left, another set of level crossing gateposts partially concealed by vegetation, and the remains of the associated railway crossing keeper's cottage - number 13.I think we had two weeks' notice and that was by a piece of A4 paper through the door, where as in the past Hampshire County Council communicated with us directly. The old railway line passes through attractive areas of heathland and pine woodland, a unique landscape where you might come across a group of wild ponies. As well as Wilverley Inclosure, you can also enjoy Wilverley Plain from the same car park. Find it at the far end of the car park near the picnic area. It is a huge open space and you will be very likely to find lots of ponies grazing here. With toilets and picnic tables, Wilverley Inclosure makes a good choice for families wanting to enjoy a day in the forest. There is a clear, way marked loop around the inclosure that is suitable for pushchairs and suits all abilities of walkers. We have added an optional extension to the loop, which will take you across moorland to The Old Station Tearooms at Holmsley. This diversion is more challenging in the terrain and does involve crossing a relatively busy road.

Refreshments: Pincic area with tables at the car park (fenced, so no ponies will bother you!) or add on a diversion to The Old Station Tea Rooms, Holmsley. There is often an ice-cream van here in summer. The business owner, who employees six full-time and around half a dozen part-time staff, said Mother's Day was the busiest day in the year. Follow the level path going straight ahead and ignore the path to the left. Keep straight at a junction with a bench and then look out for a little cast iron sign on the floor to your left detailing some dates in the inclosure’s history. Keep going and you will come to a downhill section, where the path crosses a stream, before it rises again to a bench. Keep going on the same path. For the longer walk turn right along a narrow earth path through trees and after 150 metres ignore a path off to the left.Panoramic views at first glance present vistas over relatively flat ground, overlooked by often huge skies, although hidden dips in the landscape conceal shallow valleys, narrow streams and wildlife-rich wetlands. Along the way Distance: 4.3 km for the loop around the inlclosure (add another 2 km to walk to The Old Station Tearoom) Start point = Burbush Car Park, Pound Lane, Burley BH24 4EFDistance = 4.6miles (return)Duration = ~90+ minutes (@3mph)Elevation = 122-177ft (var 55ft)Footwear = wellies!Dog mud factor = muddy paws at best, full on dirt fest possible!Weather = suitable for all weather conditionsViews = the walk is mostly in the valley Shappen Hill & Holmsley Ridge so views are of the walk & hills either sideParking = free but there are no facilities at Burbush. You can also park at the Holmsley end, but there are only a few roadside space on the slip road between A35 & Station Road. Parking in the tea rooms is only for visitors to the tea rooms whilst they are there.Facilities = there are several pubs & tea rooms in Burley (e.g. Cider Pantry tea room on Pound Lane) & the tea room at Holmsley. They all have hot/cold food, drinks & loos. The walk is mostly graveled but subject to quite a bit of waterlogging especially at the Burbush car park end, so wellies are a must except in the driest possible conditions. There are water courses too all along the route so dogs that stray from the path will get dirty! The walk route leaves Burley car park in a south-easterly direction and initially crosses gently undulating, open heathland before passing over Holmsley Bog on a raised section of path. The remains of Greenberry Bridge are reached from where the course of Castleman's Corkscrew, a dismantled railway line, is followed westwards.