Godshill and Castle Hill

This walk takes you along quiet field and woodland paths to the site of an Iron Age hill fort. It then continues to a stream-side hamlet on the edge of Castle Hill. There are views across the beautiful Avon Valley with its wildlife-rich water meadows and pasture and an optional detour to Castle Hill fort before returning along field and woodland paths to Godshill.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 4.19 km
  • ◔
    Calculated time: 1h 20 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Easy

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 46 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 46 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 80 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 34 m

Description de la randonnée

Start: Bus stop outside Fighting Cocks, pub, Godshill. Grid ref. SU 175 149, Postcode SP6 2LL

(S/E) Starting at the bus stop head downhill past the village hall. Turn left at the waymarker and through a kissing gate into a field, following the hedge on your left. Go through the metal gate in the field corner and turn right following the hedge, now on your right.

(1) Leave the field through a wooden gate, follow an enclosed footpath and turn left towards Sandy Balls Holiday Park. At the next waymarker turn right through a gate and right again following the road along the edge of a campsite. Continue straight ahead where the road becomes a gravel footpath. Pass utility works on your left and follow the path through an old beech wood and along the edge of Frankenbury Fort.

(2) Follow the path as it bends left downhill and turn right off the path through a waymarked metal gate into a wood. In spring see if you can spot primroses, bluebells, wood anemone and creeping buttercups. Go through another gate. Please keep dogs under close control to reduce disturbance to wildlife and livestock grazing on the pastures.

(3) As you emerge from the woodland turn left onto a gravel track towards Folds Farm. At the track junction turn right to join the Avon Valley Path for a short section. Continue straight ahead through the farm and over a stream. At the waymarker, cross over a cattle grid and follow the gravel track straight ahead to join the road.

Optional detour: You can now turn left and follow the road uphill along the ridge to Castle Hill fort. It was built in 1148 on the site of an earlier Iron Age hill fort and you can still see its medieval earthworks in the form of a ringwork and bailey. Then continue to Castle Hill car park for panoramic views west across the Avon Valley and beyond to the chalk hills of Wiltshire.

(4) Turn right and follow the road for 80m and take your first right down a gravel track alongside houses. Continue following this lower track, which becomes an enclosed grassy track past a cottage. Ahead is a wooden bridge with a stile across a stream flowing alongside a meadow.

(5) Cross over and follow the path alongside the stream and over a stile into the next field. Go straight on across two more fields with gates. At the third waymarked gate turn right onto a gravel track and through a wide gate uphill to the track junction. At the waymarker go straight ahead uphill through a wood. Turn right at the field gate and retrace your steps alongside the hedge to the first waymarker. Turn right through the gate to re-join the road and back uphill to the Fighting Cocks pub.(S/E)

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 80 m - Bus stop
  2. 1 : km 0.53 - alt. 75 m - Sandy Balls
  3. 2 : km 1.76 - alt. 42 m - Metal gate
  4. 3 : km 2.46 - alt. 34 m - Folds Farm
  5. 4 : km 2.95 - alt. 42 m - Bridge
  6. 5 : km 3.61 - alt. 64 m - Track junction
  7. S/E : km 4.19 - alt. 80 m - Bus stop

Practical information

Start/finish: Bus stop outside Fighting Cocks, pub, Godshill. Grid ref. SU 175 149, Postcode SP6 2LL

Ordnance Survey map: Explorer OL 22 New Forest

Getting there: New Forest Tour red route (seasonal open top service).

Local facilities: Fighting Cocks pub. Parking is available for pub users. There is a Forestry Commission car park at Godshill cricket pitch about 400m east along Roger Penny Way.

Accessibility: Mostly easy walking with gentle gradients. Gates, two stiles and a footbridge. Woodland tracks can be muddy.

Note: Please be aware of the New Forest Code when walking in the National Park.]

Find more information and walks at New Forest National Park here.

In the nearby area

Frankenbury is the site of an Iron Age hill fort that strategically overlooks the Avon Valley. The steep natural slopes on your left form the western and southern side defences of the fort. The north east sides were defended by simple a bank and ditch. The fort encloses eleven acres and various artefacts have been found including Iron Age and Roman pottery and coins.

Reviews and comments

3.7 / 5
Based on 1 review

Reliability of the description
4 / 5
Clarity of route map
4 / 5
Route interest
3 / 5
no1kaili
no1kaili

Overall rating : 3.7 / 5

Date of walk : 24/06/21
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★☆☆ Average

We enjoy walking but are not hikers. Walk says difficulty easy, however there are a couple of fairly steep short hills and a couple of the stiles need quite a bit of flexibility to get over so not suitable for say my 79 year old mother who we usually take along with us.

(1) We do not know the area so were unaware where 'Sandy Balls' was, walk should say, from enclosed footpath turn left at first stile through the hedge (you can see a phone mast across the field) follow the hedge (on left) round the edge of the field to the next gate.

On the whole enjoyed the walk, many thanks

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The GPS track and description are the property of the author.