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Southampton tours - Bournemouth Airport to Christchurch - free, unguided walk

Christchurch, Hampshire. CC William Sawrey Gilpin. More.

Overview

Mixed forest and heath in the St Catherine's Hill nature reserve, brilliant views over the lower Avon valley and Christchurch, Hengistbury Head and the Isle of Wight and its Needles.

Itinerary

  • Exit the airport terminal and walk right along the service road to the airport exit junction, ignoring the (illegal?) no-walking signs.
  • Turn left and walk a couple of hundred metres to the roundabout at Hurn.
  • Turn left on the main road that passes the village stores, and walk 150m along the RH verge of the Avon Causeway, passing between some recycling bins.
  • Take the sand path that carries straight on, ignoring the small road that leads off to the right.
  • Following the sand path, you will arrive through woodland to a clearing with Brickfield Cottage over to your right and a bridleway entering from the north to your left.
  • Follow the bridleway to the right, passing in front of the cottage, and after approximately 300m you will arrive at a gate onto the A338. Cross the road with extreme caution.
  • On the other side after a few metres there is a fork in the path. Head right, and after perhaps 200m, with in front of you a "permissive bridleway" sign, turn right, heading parallel with the A338.
  • When you get to woodland, turn left and walk up and along St Catherine's Hill (55m max), with telecommunications installations, water deposits, and prehistoric earthworks (some extended speculation here). For the best views stay to the left of the ridge.
  • At the end the main path descends to a junction which includes the entrance to the gun club and shooting range. Follow the left/straight-on fork, and you'll end up on the main Hurn-Christchurch road.
  • Follow this to the left into central Christchurch and the railway station. The Priory and ice cream is only about 1km extra, with the shore and boat rides just beyond.

[

  • The excellent Mr Jung of Christchurch told me in his taxi that somewhere off the Hurn Road, just before the A338, there is a place that makes superb pork sandwiches. Can anyone provide the details I forgot to request?
  • Bonus: album of photos of takeoff from Bournemouth, with views of the Isle of Wight, Fawley, Southampton

]

Details

Grade leisurely
Base Southampton
Location tags Bournemouth, Bournemouth Airport, Christchurch, Dorset, Hurn, St Catherine's Hill,
Theme tags archaeology, free, gastronomy, history, nature,
Your guide(s) Self-guided
Walking distance 7.5 km / 4.66 miles
Walking time 1.5 hr
Total return travel time from base to walk
Total time from "hello" to "goodbye" 1.73 hr

Photos

followthebaldie bournemouth
Hurnbridge horse farm, just outside the airport
Hurnbridge horse farm, just outside the airport
 Genuine British bus shelter, from whose partner on the other side of the road you can take the bus to the extraordinary village of Wimborne
Genuine British bus shelter, from whose partner on the other side of the road you can take the bus to the extraordinary village of Wimborne
 Bridge over Moors River
Bridge over Moors River
 Moors River at Hurn
Moors River at Hurn
House in Hurn village centre
House in Hurn village centre
 Hurn village stores
Hurn village stores
 Take this path...
Take this path...
 ... not this one
... not this one
Sand path through managed conifer forest
Sand path through managed conifer forest
 Poorly photographed drainage ditches
Poorly photographed drainage ditches
Triangle junction
Triangle junction
 Not this one (you can actually - just turn left at the end)
Not this one (you can actually - just turn left at the end)
Herpetological Conservation Trust for more on this heathland & its fauna
Herpetological Conservation Trust for more on this heathland & its fauna
 Brickfield Cottage
Brickfield Cottage
 gate beyond cottage
gate beyond cottage
Gate to cross A338, which is very dangerous
Gate to cross A338, which is very dangerous
River Avon
River Avon
View west - I figured it was Hambledon Hill near Blandford, but correction welcome
View west - I figured it was Hambledon Hill near Blandford, but correction welcome
view northish
view northish
I think this is clearance to return land to scrub - as it was pre-war
I think this is clearance to return land to scrub - as it was pre-war
River Avon, Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
River Avon, Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
 Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
Burton, the Needles and the Isle of Wight from St Catherine's Hill
 Water deposit
Water deposit
 The old railway line from Christchurch to Hurn (the Avon Causeway Hotel is the old station)
The old railway line from Christchurch to Hurn (the Avon Causeway Hotel is the old station)
 River Avon, Burton, the Needles and the rest of the Isle of Wight
River Avon, Burton, the Needles and the rest of the Isle of Wight
Christchurch from St Catherine's Hill
Christchurch from St Catherine's Hill
 Seaside vernacular, coming off St Catherine's Hill
Seaside vernacular, coming off St Catherine's Hill
The Fairmile pub - excellent sign, no time for a pint
The Fairmile pub - excellent sign, no time for a pint
 barber shop on Fairmile road
barber shop on Fairmile road
Christchurch hospital
Christchurch hospital
 Pliny, trad Holland: If the husband take a frogg and spit her‥alength upon a reed, so as it goe in at the skut or [n]ature behind and come foorth againe at the mouth...
Pliny, trad Holland: If the husband take a frogg and spit her‥alength upon a reed, so as it goe in at the skut or [n]ature behind and come foorth againe at the mouth...
 The Bournemouth - Southampton line at Christchurch station
The Bournemouth - Southampton line at Christchurch station
 Christchurch Priory, the High Street, the Railway pub, from the railway bridge
Christchurch Priory, the High Street, the Railway pub, from the railway bridge
  


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Page URL

You can find all this information, as well as the booking form, at http://followthebaldie.com/english-walking-tours/walking-from-bournemouth-airport-to-christchurch/

Health warning

These free walk instructions have not been properly checked and are offered without guarantees of any kind. Generally it's smarter to try to walk from rather than to the airport first, or there's a distinct possibility you may end up running across muddy fields as your flight disappears through the clouds. On the other hand, at least you'll know the way to the nearest pub.

Contributions

If you've got an airport route of your own that you'd like to share, please do get in touch.


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