Brockenhurst & Sway

Brockenhurst sits near the heart of the New Forest, where a web of tracks and bridleways leads straight from the village into heathland and oak woodland. The village station links to the mainline, bringing walkers and commuters into the centre. Commoning continues across the open ground: ponies, cattle and donkeys graze and cross lanes, and care is needed on foot and by bike. There are small shops, a handful of pubs and a visitor information point, and interpretation boards explain local ecology and the centuries-old rights that shape land use.

Sway lies a short distance to the west and has a different scale and history. The village is centred on a station and village green, and its skyline is punctuated by Sway Tower, the 66-metre brick tower built in the 1870s that stands above the trees. Paths from Sway run into mixed woodland and heath, used by riders and walkers, and nearby commons still hold grazing stock under the New Forest’s commoning system. The area is used for daily recreation and for longer country walks that start from either village.