Places To Visit: The New Forest, Hampshire

It brings a smile to my face to hear that one of the reasons people join me on this journey is to find inspiration of things to do and places to visit - I love exploring and it doesn't matter whether it's abroad across the ocean, or an hours drive away from my home. Everyday adventures are a brilliant way to keep exploring: for us it's finding new areas around Hampshire, Wiltshire, and Dorset for things to do and places to see.

We were planning things to do in Hampshire on a sunny weekend when it hit me: we live a mere hour away from the New Forest, yet we hardly explored that area of Hampshire! So we planned a day trip to the New Forest to explore the scenic surroundings, see the New Forest ponies, and hike in the fresh air. We had such fun that I went back for two weekends in a row - so I have outlined the places we visited and what I thought of them in this post!

Burley Village in New Forest

I kept seeing signs for Burley Village whilst driving to Mudeford - and I remember a friend of mine telling me that it is a 'witch village', so naturally I absolutely had to visit Burley! The small village is hidden away in the New Forest and has a small high street with narrow streets filled with witchcraft and magic.

A famous character in Burley's history is Sybil Leek who lived in the village during 1950's. Sybil was a white witch and was known for walking around the village in her signature long black cloak and her pet jackdaw sitting on her shoulder. Burley locals weren't that keen on Sybil being around (even though she was a white witch!) so she later moved to America where she carried on practicing and studying the occult and astrology.

Sybil is key to Burley's history - the witchcraft and magic shop A Coven of Witches was named after her, and they even have her portrait hanging above the Jacobean fireplace! You can pick up a variety of crystals, incense, and sage amongst many other objects from the shop - and they occasionally also do psychic readings which you can book in.

Burley is also known for it's ghostly sightings: a ghost which patrols Burley Lawn, strange and spooky noises have been reported coming from The Queen's Head pub, and a feline apparition has been seen at The Coven of Witches shop!

We enjoyed a hike around Burley village with mum - simply follow the footpath sign next to The Coven of Witches and aim East around the village - you will wonder through some amazing sights of nature (and property!), walk past New Forest Cider where you can enjoy a pint of freshly made cider and buy some to take home, and eventually end up doing a loop around Burley ending up back on the high street.

There are pubs and tea rooms in Burley which you can enjoy after you walk.

Hatchet Pond, New Forest

I have been on the lookout for a nice lake somewhere in Hampshire where you can paddle, wild swim, and just generally chill out in front of. I came across Hatchet Pond whilst on Instagram and the lake looked beautiful - so we planned a trip a day trip on a hot sunny day to find out what Hatchet Pond is really like.

We did a 1.5 hours hike to get to the pond and enjoy New Forest scenery - I use my phone maps to have a look at where the lake is and then we usually park up and navigate through the forest, exploring along the way! This is one of my favourite ways to explore - pick a destination, get as close or as far to it as you wish, and then navigate with maps or GPS.

When we got to Hatchet Pond, we could see a car park and an ice cream van (yay! I was thirsty, hungry, and hot!) and quite a few people around. Let me tell you the photos I saw on Instagram (and the photos I'm guilty of posting on this blog!) illustrate Hatchet Pond as a lake in the middle of the New Forest, quite and rural, big. When in fact Hatchet Pond is none of those - but it is beautiful still! The lake is more like a big pond so I totally get the name - it's big enough for a swim, and great for kids and dogs to paddle in. But it's also very busy - there were quite a lot of people around the pond, and it's next to an A road which means it's not quiet.

My illusion of the pond being in the middle of nowhere and a haven of peace was shattered pretty quickly! It's a meeting point for humans, dogs, ponies, and cows to come and cool off in the heat. I can imagine the pond will be beautiful at sunrise or sunset on a warm summer's day.

I'm by no means putting Hatchet Pond down, but I think it's important to know and emphasise the images you see on Instagram and on blogs is not necessarily reflective of the reality - if you don't mind people, cars, and general noise then you will enjoy the experience. Personally, I enjoyed the hike more than the view at the end but that's because I was looking for something with no one there!

Hikes Around The New Forest

Speaking of hikes, one of my favourite ways to explore the New Forest is to find a spot of interest (a pub, landmark, lake, village) and then find somewhere to park which is about an hour or two away - or even more if I'm out for the whole day! I know this doesn't help with specifics (sorry!) but you can find hidden gems and unexplored paths that way.
Our hike to Hatchet Pond was an adventure and we stumbled upon quiet natural beauty. Just remember where you parked! I cannot stress that enough. Because after 4 hours of walking you don't really want to end up a further 2 hours away from your car.

As long as you have your essentials: hiking boots, spare socks, a snack bar or two, plenty of water, and a portable charger just in case - you will have a fun day. I like finding little pubs at the end of the journey to settled down in with a glass of red wine and a hot dinner.

We're going to be doing more exploring around the New Forest in Hampshire throughout the year so I will be sure to update you on more places to visit!