Burley, New Forest Guide: Ponies, Witchcraft and Walks from the Village

Burley is a small village on the western edge of the New Forest, 5 miles south-east of Ringwood, and it is the New Forest in miniature. Ponies and cattle wander the village green and the lanes, the fire station has a cattle grid at its entrance to keep them out, and the village shops sell crystals and witchcraft books next to fudge and cider. The forest around it is open heath, ancient woodland, and quiet tracks, and it starts at the edge of the village.

Burley is a good base for a day in the forest, and it is a good stop on its own. This guide covers how to get there, what to see, and a 2-mile walk you can do from the village centre.

Figure 1: New Forest ponies at sunrise on the heath. The cover photo shows two ponies against the morning mist.

Getting there

By car, Burley is about a 2-hour drive from London via the M3 and A31. Follow signs from Picket Post. The village centre has a good-sized car park, and the postcode for the satnav is BH24 4AB. The A31 and A35 both give good access to the village.

By train, direct services run to the New Forest from London Waterloo, Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole, and Weymouth. The nearest stations are Sway, Hinton Admiral, and New Milton, all with buses to Burley. Brockenhurst is about a 15-minute taxi ride away. National Express coaches stop at Lyndhurst, Lymington, and Ringwood, and a bus runs from there to Burley. The New Forest Tour Bus stops at Burley in summer only.

The ponies and the commoning tradition

Burley still practises the thousand-year-old New Forest tradition of commoning, where ponies and cattle freely roam the forest and the village. The animals belong to commoners, and they graze the open forest under ancient rights. They wander the village green, the lanes, and the car parks, and they have right of way. Do not feed them. The ponies look tame, and they are used to people, but they are free-roaming animals, and feeding them makes them pushy and ill.

What to see and do

• The village shops: a small high street of independent shops. The Coven of Witches sells crystals, books, and witchcraft gifts. The Burley Fudge Shop and the tea rooms are the quieter stops.
• Sybil Leek and the white witch: Burley was home to the well-known white witch Sybil Leek in the mid-20th century, and the village keeps the witchcraft story in its shops and its folklore. Smugglers and ghost stories fill the rest of the village history.
• Burley Wagon Rides: horse-drawn wagon rides through the village and the nearby woodland, from 20 minutes to an hour and a half. Fallow deer, red deer, and ponies are often seen from the wagon.
• Forest Leisure Cycling: bike hire in the village centre, with suggested routes from easy family rides to longer trails. The Old Railway Loop follows part of the old railway line.
• Burley Golf Club: a 9-hole course just outside the village, open to visitors, with views across the heathland.
• Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary: a short drive from Burley, where wild deer can be seen in their habitat.
• New Forest Cider Farm: a family-run cider farm in the village, making traditional cider for generations.
• Burley Manor: the old manor house, now a hotel and restaurant with views over the forest.

A 2-mile walk from the village

The Burley and Shappen Hill circular is a 2-mile loop for a relaxed stroll. It crosses open heathland, follows parts of the old railway line, and loops back past Shappen Hill. Ponies and cattle are likely on the path, and the views across the heath are wide. Allow about an hour.

For a longer day, the Burley Village and Long Pond walk is 5 miles, and the Burley and Holmsley circular is 7 miles, through woodland and quiet forest paths. The cycle ride from Brockenhurst to Burley follows the Old Railway Route, also known as Castleman's Corkscrew, straight into the village.

Figure 2: A New Forest pony grazing on the heath near Burley.

Best time to visit

Spring and autumn are the best months for walking, with mild weather and quiet paths. Summer is the busiest season, and the village fills on fine weekends. Winter is quiet, and the ponies are still out on the heath. The New Forest Tour Bus runs in summer only, so winter visitors need a car or a taxi from the station.

Practical tips

• Do not feed the ponies: they are free-roaming animals, and feeding them makes them ill and pushy.
• Drive slowly: ponies and cattle cross the roads without warning, and they have right of way.
• Park in the village car park: the centre has a good-sized car park, and the lanes are narrow.
• Bring walking shoes: the heath paths are uneven, and the woodland tracks can be muddy after rain.
• Check wagon ride times: Burley Wagon Rides run seasonally, and the times change with the weather.

Sources: New Forest Living Burley guide for the 5 miles from Ringwood, the thousand-year-old commoning tradition, the cattle grid at the fire station, and the wagon ride times; Dear New Forest for the 2-hour drive from London, the 2-mile Shappen Hill walk, and the 5 and 7 mile walks; Choose Where for the Sybil Leek history and the Bolderwood Deer Sanctuary. Bus and wagon times change. Check before you travel.

Frequently asked questions